The Human and the Lizard
by Star Geman
Summary: Humanity on earth has been warned by god. This has been the final straw. It is time that the world ends. Meanwhile, the war against chaos and skavenkind continues with the moon exploding and the slann protecting Lustria. Both worlds end. Two souls are pushed into a similar world but different at the same time. Will, they survive? Reincarnated SI Kroq-Gar&OC (Two minds,one body)
1. The Humans and the Lizard

The Human and the Lizard

A sunny day in Japan like any other. Getting to the High school per train meeting some friends on the way there and arriving on time in class is always a chore.

The skyline of downtown is passing by very quickly and as usual,

the ads displayed at the side of the buildings that try to sell the same products over and over again are there as well.

I arrive at the pristine white school with a friendly janitor cleaning the windows and greeting the students.

He is a great guy sometimes he brings us ice cream for free on a hot summer day.

How he finances it nobody has any clue.

The wooden hallways are always stuffed with students and are preparing themselves for class.

The classroom is quite full with 30 minutes left on the clock.

I sit down in my spot in the back, near the door, first to "run" when the bell rings.

The classroom has a whiteboard with 4 colors to write with Red, Black, Blue, Green the rest in the room is a traditional Japanese wooden floor,

a wooden door which is opened by sliding them to the side, wooden table … pretty traditional and boring.

It smells nice in here when there are rainy days so it is fine with me.

The first hours of the day were quite normal.

Well except for my best friend and sports junkie Kenta. He is showing off his glorious biceps again to the girls to woo them of course.

Great guy, even if he is sometimes too narcissistic on the other hand he is built like a tank even if he is shorter than me.

We also have Hinoka „The Walking Encyclopedia" going on and on about the importance of preserving the environment which she talks about every day,

would be 8/10 girlfriend material if it wasn't for her being annoying like this.

She has brown hair and brown eyes. Small petite frame. She is also, of course, the class best in every category except sport.

When asked how she is so good in the exams, "photographic memory and logic!" is all she answers.

Me? Well, I am just a normal dude ... mostly. I am Frederick or Freddy like some love to call me 18 years old and last year at High school.

I practiced HEMA before I switched to Kendo, Mothers wishes.

My Father got married when he was traveling for his work and met my mom.

**Boom**.

I am now here.

My Dad wanted me to have a western name because "If I marry into the Japanese I will carry my culture with me because we are the best in the world".

Never knew if he was joking or not, I should ask that geezer sometime.

"Attention class! The next class session is going to start very shortly please be seated now!"

that somewhat bossy voice is our class representative Hana. She is an annoying girl.

Pretty much all rules and no fun kind of personality but most classmates like that she is a hard worker.

Also, she is gorgeous looking.

Like b.e.a.u.t.i.f.u.l..

Black silk-like hair.

Eyes like brown pearls of Chocolate and a cute nose with high cheekbones which would make her a perfect girl,

except if she wasn't so bossy all the time.

She likes to bother the slackers of this class a lot like the poor guy with square eyeglasses in the corner of the class near the window.

Who also brings his cat sometimes to school even if it is not allowed.

I think Akira was his name if I remember correctly.

My grades aren't bad, so she doesn't bother me, but she likes to talk to the entire class to see if we are having no problems and such.

*Sigh* Well, she does bother me.

We still have some time before the next class begins, so I decided to save the girls from Kendos bad "seduction attempts".

"Yo, Kendo how was your day brother?" Kendo while fit and muscular in all areas he is a bit small like everyone in Japan compared to a westerner or

rather I am taller than them but that doesn't mean Kendo couldn't knead me into a pretzel if he wants to.

"Yo! Freddy, I am doing quite good! Shame you couldn't join me on my judo training yesterday"

Kendo says liberated while stretching himself over exaggerated.

Some girls just snicker quietly while others exhale a breath of relief.

"Kendo, I had a family matter to attend sorry." I run my hand through my short brown hair similar to a Military cut.

Father did insist that I look "Like a proper Marine!" *Sigh*

"So are you free today? I want to go to the cinema to watch the new War Infinity movie."

"Yeah man, I got time. We can go after school I got money with me as well." I reply.

"Everyone! The teach is coming!" like mind-controlled machines, we move to our seats and sit down.

"Good Day Class." my class teacher Yamauchi greats us with his monotone voice.

He is a heavily balding man in his 50s who has no family except his brothers and their kids.

He is our math and class teacher. Unexpectedly he is a great teacher as well and very kind to everyone one of us but today seems like a day he isn't feeling well.

We stand up and greet him back.

"Good Day !" with this our math session begins.

In the middle of the math class. I feel a certain pressure in the back of my head as I close my eyes.

Oh, no. Am I getting a stroke? I hope not … a stroke is a bit far fetched … calm down.

The pressure intensifies and with it there comes a wave of pain I never felt in my life before.

A moan escapes my lips but I hear painful moaning from the class as well. I open my eyes.

I clutch my head with both hands to ease the pain somehow.

I see that the entire class is clutching their heads or holding onto something to stay upright.

"Argh! W-w-what is this? Was it the cafeterias food?" "Mr. Yamauchi I-i don't feel so good."

"T-this -is ..not normal." The entire class seems affected by something similar.

I try to stand up.

Wrong choice!

The pain becomes unbearable! I shout in pain. Startling some of my struggling classmates.

"Aaaah… I am sorry it just hurts soo much." I lay down on my stomach trying to ease the pain somehow.

The wooden floor is cool and gives me some comfort in my agony.

"Class-s-sss…. Try to *augh* calm down, please. I will ...*puh* call the ambulance right away.." tells us while dialing the emergency ambulance number.

The moment our teacher put the phone next to his ear. The pain intensifies, even more, it is just unbearable.

_**Humans**_.  
_You Humans. What did I tell you over **millennia** ago?_  
_You either change your ways or **punishment** will occur._  
_You choose to ignore my **warnings**. You brushed them aside. For your own greed. This was the **last** chance._  
_I as your only and **last** god left have enough of this stupidity. Humankind as you know it will **end** here._  
_May the **others **claim the remains. _

_White_ is all I see. _White_ is all I hear. _White_ is all I smell. _White_ is all I taste.

Did we all just die? So, God had enough of us and killed us. I can not believe it!

What did we do to deserve such a fate?

What did I do?!

Why punish everyone?

Why not the evil ones?!

This is not just! GOD!

Why did you do this!

WHY!

Do you hear me you stupid petty omnipotent being!

A black dot starts forming right in front of me expanding quite rapid, too rapid way too rapidly before I could even fully comprehend what happens I was swallowed by blackness.

The War was going on for a while but for the great warrior Kroq-Gar fighting 1 year or 1000 years is nothing anymore.

As he is one of the oldest Lizardman alive when you leave the Slann out of the ranking.

He is fighting to keep this world safe and purge it of the abnormalities that roam this earth, how Lord Mazdamundi the greatest living Slann ordered him centuries ago.

Still, he never would have thought the Lizardmen could be pushed so far back by Chaos and Skaven alike.

It makes him furious to know that the Skaven are responsible for the defacto death of Mazdamundi and the Slann.

The Skaven are a race of humanoid rats that spread disease and corruption across the world.

When the insane abnormalities decided to drop the moon onto the planet it forced every Slann to stop the debris from impacting and wiping out everything on this world.

This effectively knocked out every one of our strongest mages and leaders.

The winds of magic also consorting into a single point away from us didn't help either.

It still wasn't enough to stop all debris flying towards the earth but enough so we the Lizardmen guardians of this world will survive and begin rebuilding again.

So it was up to the Saurus and Skinks to defend and to make sure the great plan is still on its right course.

The masses of Skaven and Chaos flooded our lands and reached the walls of our sacred temples.

The sky was still glowing a furious red and there was still multiple massive debris falling down.

"Defend the walls! We will not let them take a single step more into the City!" Kroq-Gar shouted his orders with a deep growl.

Kroq-Gar is riding his lifelong friend Grymloq into battle and equipped with the [Hands of God] and the [Revered Spear of Tlanxla].

He braces himself against the Skaven flood.

The Skaven reached the walls and already started tunneling underneath the walls to come out the other side while at the same time trying to scale the walls.

Kroq-Gar already predicted this from his year-long campaigns against the Skaven and prepared Kroxigores massive bipedal Lizardmen with Alligator heads armed with mallets to literately wack-mole the rats back to the ground with Skinks supporting them as well.

The fighting continued with Kroq-Gar cutting through the ranks of the Skaven like a hot knife through butter.

They were pushing them back with the combined might of tactics and pure prowess of every single Lizardman.

"Arggh!" A Saurus Warrior cut a Skaven in half and pressuring the next rat while a Skink was on his back making sure nobody got the jump on him.

A Kroxigore broke his mallet while fighting a Mutated rat ogre and continued to fight him with bare claws in a battle of raw power.

A Skink priest noticed the struggle and started casting reinforcement magic on the weaponless Kroxigore while another Kroxigore ate a Skaven whole.

The fighting continued mercilessly with casualties mounting on both sides.

A Stagadon was getting nearly grounded by the sheer mass of Skaven on its back and the wounds already adding up.

With his Skink escort killed the massive Stagadon dies a slow death but not without killing hundreds of Skaven.

The tide slowly turns in favor of the rats.

With them releasing a huge Warpstone bomb in the middle of the fight. Kroq-Gar knew he needs to find their commander to turn this around.

While searching for the commander in the midst of the sea of pure gray rat fur.

Grymloq turned in a quick motion nearly throwing Kroq-Gar off.

He hears the sizzling of flesh.

He feels Grymloq shaking and completely buckling down.

"What is wro-" before he could realize what has happened Grymloq was dissolving into a green slick puddle.

"Grymloq! WHO DARES!"Kroq-Gar looks around his eyes full of rage.

"Aahaha Yes-yes the big lizzad dead-dead Yeahaha!" A grayish robed rat with a weird looking device in his sickly looking hands spoke.

"And y-you are n-neeext yes-yes!" The rat turns running back into the mass of clanrats.

Kroq-Gar looks at his half dissolved friend and swears revenge and in the next moment, he dives into the mass of rats with a mighty roar swinging his Sunspear mid-air.

"PURGE THE RATS! KILL THEM ALL!" Kroq-Gar is pursuing the gray robed rat with all of his might hundreds of Clanrats, Stormvermin, and Ratorges try to stop him desperately trying to protect their leader.

Kroq-Gar cuts through with no mercy. His battle instincts of 8000 years forged him into one of the most deadly warriors on this earth.

After nearly half an hour of the slaughter he finally has reached the gray robed rat.

It shouted at the nearby clanrats to protect him.

They followed suit and engaged in battle only to be cut down like nothing the leader points the green device at him and a beam of sick looking energy came flying at Kroq-Gar,

still engaged in combat sliced a rat in half and slapped the corpse with his tail to absorb the green glowing energy shot.

This continued for only 10 seconds until Kroq-Gar reached him and grabbed the rat by the throat.

"No-no please I do-not fight anymore- I go-go run away!" the rats grasping at his throat desperate for the sweet air.

"Please, I give-give everything!"

"You abominations must be purged," Kroq-Gar responded in his coldest tone yet.

Stormvermins are already rushing towards him he knew he doesn't have the time to revenge Grymloq properly.

"You will die in the name of the great plan and Grymloq".

He activated the [Hand of gods] and burned the rat alive in a bright fire that could rival the suns brightness.

The moment the rat died the enemy army lost all their cohesion as they didn't have a leader to rally behind.

A massive explosion rattled the air. He looked up only to see a massive burning continent-sized debris fly towards him.

The skink priests tried to stop the stupidly massive debris from impacting the earth.

Concentrating as an unyielding collective and even influencing the geomantic net to help them.

It only slowed the debris just by a little bit.

The priests were growing restless and purred everything they had into stopping the debris.

The massive debris was slowing down!

Bit by bit it slowed down but then one of the priests collapsed then another and another with every other priest collapsing the burning continent started falling faster and faster.

Kroq-Gar was helpless to stop it. He gave the order to retreat to the temple the moment the priests began but it was too late.

After that, he saw only a bright _**whiteness**_ claim him.


	2. Between Worlds

I open my eyes.

I see nothing but darkness.

This is ridiculous!

Killed by our god because of the action of the others huh?

What a disaster.

Wait…. I can think?

How can I think if I am dead and see?

Is this heaven… this darkness?

"Hello?…."

I hear a low feral deep growl behind me that responds.

"Manspawn what are you doing here?"

"Manspawn? What?" I turn around just to see a massive dinosaur-like lizard standing 2 meters in front of me staring down at me.

I try to backpaddle but it doesn't go as fast as thought. More like I can't move at all!

Well without a bod-

I see my hands materialize into existence and the rest of my body as well.

"You can talk?!" I ask the overgrown lizard.

"Are you really asking that out of all the questions? You died recently I presume?"

"Yeah… You too? Did your god abandon you like a used up toy as well?"

"….No, The Skaven dropped a burning continent on my head. I died defending the great plan and my people." It retorts with a consistent growl.

"That.. sounds a lot better than mine. Who am I kidding my death sounds so lame."

"I was born a warrior manspawn your kinds purpose is unknown to me but I think workers should never be needing to pick up arms. Alas, that what has happened."

"T-thanks I guess?"

Light fills the endless void in bright white light.

A round form of grayish white energy floats in front of us.

"So the two souls have exchanged with each other?" It asks us in a genderless voice before we could react.

Both of us stay silent before the ball of light.

"I take that as a yes. So, any questions before I send you on your way?"

"Yes! Yes! And yes! What happened to my friends and family where are they and who is he? Or she?" I ask while pointing to the large Lizard.

"Oh he is Kroq-Gar form the lands of Lustria and you are from Frederick from Japan." It responds with a little bit of smugness in his or her voice.

"Your friends are already gone. They are just being reborn or inheriting a new body as we speak."

"Oh tha- Wait! A new body? Reborn? What?! Is this some sort of reincarnation dream? Am I dreaming?"

"No you are not, you technically died. As did Kroq-Gar."

"SO we are both getting new bodies and we just arrived late?"

"A new body. Only one."

"Heh?…. Wait a second we will be sharing a body how is that possible?"

"Well, I will bind your souls together and voilà la! A new stable soul will be born." It laughs.

Kroq-Gar looks at me and retorts "I heard from him why he is here but why am I here are you an Old one? My deities didn't abandon our world."

"That is right but chaos was winning the war in a significant way and so I stuck a deal with the Old ones for a little boon for the forces of good. So you are mine to keep and him? I picked some of his worlds floating souls up because they were a very curious bunch and their cries for the salvation and help was too great to ignore.  
Nero, Fredericks former god was very **very** petty with his so-called warnings. It was unjust to end the lives of these souls." the grayish energy or better god responds.

"So we just get dropped into that world and do what? Live?" I barge in.

"Yes live and rebuild. I got Kroq-Gar because he was a long-lived and quite accomplished Lizardman warrior and general and with your human side to balance out his lack of diplomatic skills and your views from your world I want you both to unite the dying lizardmen race and make them great again."

"Did you just?" I ask stunned.

"No just a coincidence!" It somehow smirks.

"I wish you both good luck! Also, try not to die too early!"

The whiteness around us seems to retreat away from us before shortly we are left in complete darkness.

Nothing happened in a while. Kroq-Gar seems to have disappeared with the light somehow.

It felt like an eternity before something changed.

I was pushed off my feet and felt coldness seize my body.

I sniff the cold and moist air before opening my eyes and what greeted me was a small humanoid Lizardman with an animal skull as a helmet.

"Master, What happened?! We got to run! The warmbloods are still after us !"

I hear a bolt impact the tree next to me.

I stand up and start chasing after him and I notice 5 other small Lizardman accompanying me and the one who woke me.

The area I woke up is a forest which is covered in nearly knee-deep snow and I hear shouting in an unknown language behind me.

I take a quick look at the so-called warmbloods. They are quite far away and are struggling with the bushes.

They are humans alright and they seem heavily armed to the teeth with polearms and crossbows.

I notice I am unarmed and have barely any clothing or protection on my new body.

As the better god obviously hinted add I inhibit now the body of a lizardman.

_"These are skinks, Manspawn that's what we call them"_ Kroq-Gar chimes in my head.

_"One Warrior, One priest and the rest are workers,"_ he adds mentally nodding to each of one which feels quite weird.

_"So that helps me how?"_

_"They are of the worker class in my society at least he called you master you have an authority position so I assume the same manspawn."_

I nearly stumble over the roots of a tree that were hidden by the snow while talking with Kroq-Gar in my head.

The shouts of the humans subside slowly but we keep going a bit more even after we lost them before I call for a break out of exhaustion.

I inspect my body more thoroughly I just notice the horrible state I and my fellow lizards are.

Muscle nearly has completely atrophied away from our bodies but our tails seem to have the most mass if that tiny bit more fat has the right to be called bulk.

Jesus, we look like shit.

_"You are a Saurus warrior as it seems. An old one at that. That is good."_Kroq-Gar comments while I inspect my- our body that is in the most horrible state I have ever seen.

We look like skeletons.

"Master! The warmbloods are off our tail. What do we do now?" The warrior skink asks.

This petrifies me. I never handled being in a leadership position well my friend Kendo or our Class rep was more the leader type but not me.

I froze in place for a solid minute to think about what I could do.

But before I could react I feel my jaw snapping and my lungs filling with air.

"The workers will look in a team of 2 for dry wood as dry as possible we are cut of from supplies and our cold blood is a disadvantage in this weather so it will be our worst enemy, look out for a cave where we can take shelter in. After the warmth situation is cleared we will need to hunt for fresh prey." my body orders in the most authoritarian voice possible.

_"I took control for the moment. Manspawn your inaction and hesitation are intolerable."_ Kroq-Gar criticizes me with a threating growl.

_"Well, why don't you take control?"_ I ask him a bit annoyed at him looking down at me.

_"I cant. The god fused us in this way I can only take momentarily control it also cost me a lot of energy. I felt great exhaustion after taking over._

_"I see. So you are stuck as a shotgun?"_

_"Shotgun?"_

_"As the second drive- rider I mean."_

_"Ah, I see. Manspawn _be_ careful we don't know our situation my knowledge could be wrong about the skinks so don't take it for granted."_

_"I won't. Trust me."_

After sitting on a large rock I noticed the one who Kroq-Gar called a skink priest sitting near a tree root while others were scavenging.

"Master…. Your soul has changed ... you also have a mark on your right shoulder."

Boom this is a problem that I couldn't even anticipate.

I could just admit I just hitched a ride on this body and practically stole it or play it dumb.

Seeing that this guy has magic practically oozing out of him and I am practically unarmed if you discount the claws and the sharp teeth I will answer honestly.

"Yes. I did change. Is there a problem with it?"

"Nonono I am happy that competence is finally returning to our ranks."He practically spat.

Damn the guy who lived in this body was either a moron or a jerk maybe even both.

I look to my right shoulder and see a black teardrop-shaped tattoo decorating my blue scaled arm.

"What is your name priest?"

"Yudoa, Master and yours? What shall we call you from now on? The one who lived before in that vessel was known as Mol-xa'uchtlal" He pronounced that last bit with no problem I just twisted my tongue by thinking about trying to pronounce it right.

Maybe I should give me sorry us a new name? A combination of Kroq-Gar and Frederick? Yeah?

_"I agree there manspawn,"_ Kroq-Gar adds.

"Rede-Gar. Call me Rede-Gar from now on."I respond feeling the new name roll off my lizard tongue.

"Yes. I will tell the others Master Rede-Gar, they will be pleased to know that master has a more pronounceable name from now on."

I nod as a confirmation."What is that mark on my shoulder?" I ask the priest.

"I am sorry I don't know what that mark is but I know it wasn't there before… You changed."

So it is a way to see if I hijacked a body maybe the others who came here will have it as well? Most likely.

The others return and I introduce myself as Rede-Gar to them.

Yudoa helps to get across that it is a good thing so when Tlilxa the Skink Warrior as he calls himself interjects with concern about having an unknown leader.

The priest immediately shuts him down.

The rest of the skinks report a suitable cave is near and carry the wood branches on their back as we make our base there.

After warming us up with the help of Yudoa we go out hunting I am still unarmed as are the workers except for the warrior Tlilxa.

Who has a javelin made fully out of wood in hand.

We go out hunting as a group we left the rest of the dry branches in the cave.

* * *

After a while of looking out for any tracks or trails nearby and inside the forest we find fresh signs of a herd passing through near the forest edge.

After following the trails for multiple minutes we find something that looks similar to bison from my old home but instead of it being the brownish black it is pure snow white.

It walks in a weird way as it favors the right front leg and stumbles a bit. Easy prey.

We stalk us as near as possible the skinks quickly catching onto my tactic.

_"Watch out for branches and step lightly as possible on the snow,_ Kroq-Gar warns me.

Our belly rumble near simultaneous when we got into spitting distance.

This gave us away and it immediately starts to run away.

I lunge instantly after it using my claws to catch onto its hind legs.

_"Don't attack from behind his legs manspawn!"_ Kroq-Gar warns but it is too late I am committed to proving him I don't hesitate!

Big mistake on my part before my claws even reach the white bison it kicked me hard ,straight in the chest.

I definitely heard and felt my ribs crack and did fall on my back from the impact but that was his undoing the moment to kick was exploited by the other skinks who clawed and speared at the eyes and throat of the massive animal.

Which brought the already hurt animal to fall.  
_"You fool! You could have gotten us killed!"_ Kroq-Gar angry shouts inside my head.

Yudoa rushed to my side already swinging his staff to fix me up I suppose.

"Master that was reckless of you! Be careful next time! I used my reinforcement magic in time so your chest didn't immediately cave in at that kick! We are still underfed and you cant tank it with your brittle bones!" Yudoa scold me with great concern in his eyes.

"I am sorry I got too excited at the prospect of eating something." I half-lie.

I was just impatient and wanted to prove my worth.

Argh, my ribs still feel sore and some phantom pain persists even after him using his magic by calling a short incantation with somatic hand gestures.

After dragging the bison back together to the cave I cooked the parts that I wanted to eat while others did forgo for eating it raw.

We used the bones to craft primitive spears and dried the fur to make us something that resembles boots if you had a lot of imagination.

I noticed while crafting the boots with the group that three of the worker have a little split at their tail giving them two tailed endings

I asked Yudoa "what that does that mean?" nodding to the tails.

"Oh, you don't know? They are female skinks."

"I see thank yo-" I promptly hear Kroq-Gar shouting in my head.

_"Female Skinks? This is something we never had! It is impossible! We are always born in spawning pools and in the rhythm according to the great plan."_

_"To be honest Yudoas explanation sounds more plausible than yours Kroq-Gar,"_ I reply.

_"This is quite unusual. This world is similar to mine and vastly different in some ways."_

_"Maybe the humans are the ones born of pools? Haha!"_ I try to lighten the mood in my head

"Yudoa is there by any chance female Saurus?"

"Why yes of course. There also Kroxigores. We used to be lead by one who was the Lizardman Warmaster before he died In the great offensive against the Warmbloods."

"Offensive?"I ask with a slight tilt.

"Yes, We used to nearly wipe them off the face of the earth nearly 500 years ago but then the elite of the Warmbloods killed him by surrounding his forces.

After that we are on the backfoot since then.

They call us demons but hunting us with such intensity I rather call them the demons.

We weren't even born when it happened but we are still the monsters in their eyes."

Yudoa tells me with a fiery passion his eyes.

So that is why it wants me to unite all so they can live in peace and not fear for their lives.

We stay in the cave for multiple hours I noticed my body regaining its strength back at a rapid pace I even feel some muscle building which is quite usual to literally feel and see muscle building in front of your eyes.

The other look a lot more healthy too.

They seem to regain some of their colors back in scales.

"This is the plan now. We will march out of the snowy forest to a more hospitable area and set up our base there but before that, we rest for the day!"

And so tomorrow our march begins.


	3. Between Memories and Mountains

The night was a very weird experience I was dreaming but it was very obviously not from my imagination or something similar.

It more like a memory replaying.

I was riding something that suspiciously looked like a t-rex and had an entire Lizardman army behind my back following me before we got attacked by a literal flood of gray furred humanoid rats and armored knights with a lot of spikes on their body it was quite the overkill.

Oh, how many spikes they had.

The ensuring fight felt like an eternity this was like an endless tide that never ended and I never really did seems to tire out slicing through the masses like a hot knife through butter my fellow comrades who were Lizardman also fighting with such savage prowess it was a sight to behold!

It was a never-ending slaughter on both sides.

The spiked knights sewed more chaos into the ranks when they unleashed this horde of bestial spiked beasts into our ranks with real demons coming down to help them fight.

It was a beautiful never-ending nightmare. That had no end in sight.  
Until Yudoa woke me up.

"You didn't look well, master. I felt your presence weaken a bit while you were sleeping."

I opened my eyes weary and tired.

The sun is not out yet as I can see from the cave entrance.

"Thank you Yudoa but please call me Rede-Gar if you want." Yudoa only nods before going into something that I assume is a meditative trance with him crossing his legs and his breathing controlled.

_"So a nightmare?"_ Kroq-Gar asks with a tone that indicates that he already knows the answer.

_"Yeah, you too?"_

_"no, I was reliving a memory from your life Manspawn. Your life was quite uneventful but seeing your worlds technology and the flying steel eagle scream through the skies and stepping into these massive iron worms is impressive. Every manspawn had his own little plaque. It was an unending landscape of steel and stone with trees being the exception."_

_"That sounds very like my home. I guess I relived some of yours. I was fighting huge manlike rats and spiked knights or demons knights for what seems like years! I am unsure if that was your past but what the god told me was right. You really are a quite accomplished Warrior and general."_

_"I accept your praise manspawn so you know we have a lot of work ahead of us. First, we will train our bodies and then our minds. We need to be fit to rule all of the Lizardman. The skink didn't mention that any _slann_ are alive so we can not expect them to lead Lizardkind."_

_"Woha _wait_ hold up a moment, me leading all is that a bit….. too much? I have no real leading qualities the only thing I did was lead a group project on our school festival and nothing _mor_-"_

_"That is why I am here or did you forget why the _god send_ us both together into this world."_

_"I know but…. Why me? I am just a normal dude. My father would be more qualified for this!"_

_"I don't know and we may never will… the fact is that the old ones traded me for a boon and she needs us both of us _mansp_-…. Human. As long we work together we will archive that objective and unite all and you will probably find your Human friends when they hear of a Lizardman Empire forming."_

_"Or will be too scared to approach us… you know they look at Lizardmen like they are demons to be eradicated of the face of this earth."_

_"That maybe …. or we will force them to accept it."_

I noticed after getting up that having no coffee is really a major downturn of all this reincarnation business.

When the rest of the group woke up and we feasted on the remains of the bison and made our way outside.

What springs to my eyes is the massive mountain range the forest is connected to we seem to be in some kind of valley we are flanked by nearly all sides except one.

It was the opposite we came from.

With consultation of Yudoa who told me that going into that direction which is south will lead us to warmer climates probably.

We began making our way.

One week of hunting, eating and crafting have passed.

As a group, we hunted, as a group we ate and as a group we fought.

We finally are clothed decent enough to pass as beggars on the streets if you ignore the Lizard aspect of our bodies.

Everyone has a spear now even our priest Yudoa just in case.

Kroq-Gar told me to give him that.

While hunting as a group I started to earn the respect and trust of the skinks.

Kroq-Gar urged me to fight upfront and intercept the potential counterattacks of our prey.

Multiple times I intervene in the right moment but for the first time, Kroq-Gar forced me to move because I froze the following one as well.  
I got the flow at the third attempt where he was telling me that is was just bearable to watch me.

Bloody backseat commander.

Kroq-Gar started teaching me strategies and tactics.

He is quite the tough teacher he shows no mercy and doesn't consider letting me rest.

Until I finished his session.

Oh, how he forces me was straight up mean he gave me headaches until I started to resume the lesson.

Telling me that even under pressure I should stay fully focused.

My physical training started when I asked Tlilxa on my request to train with me.

Kroq-Gar assisting with that of course.

While Tlilxa couldn't really beat me because of my larger body I couldn't beat him either.

He has a very speedy fighting style I rely more on brute strength and half-arsed techniques that I learned from Kroq-Gar and some lessons from Hema.

It earned some of his respect which is an achievement in my eyes not so in Kroq-Gars.

I would say Tlilxa starts to trust me more with each sparring.

It was more of you don't do stupid shit and I will follow you kind of trust.

* * *

At the 9th day of the march towards a warmer climate, we killed something resembling a deer recently.

When suddenly out of the bushes 5 large Lizardman came.

5 Saurus warriors, not really well-fed fighters equipped with spears out of well-made wood with rusty tips before any of us could react one from their middle spoke.

"This prey is ours… GO away now!" This was a female Saurus.

Split tail and a slight difference in the voice-tone indicated that.

I got better discerning the gender when I talked to my group's females skinks.

Females also have a very slight structural difference with some face plates being differently formed.

This, in turn, gave them a more aerodynamic head as a result.

Kroq-Gar nearly lost his shit again as he called it impossible that somebody would change the biology of the Old One previously set blueprint until he remembered we aren't back in his world.

"This is our prey Saurus. We killed it. You didn't hunt i-" I try to respond before being cut off.

"You want to contest?! You may be better fed but we are still stronger than your group, 5 Saurus against your skink clique! We will kill you if you don't go." She was the obvious leader of that group and interrupted me threateningly with her twirling the spear in a fluid motion.

_"Frederick. Did you see that? She is hurt."_ Kroq-Gar speaks up.

_"What were?"_

_"Right leg, she focuses a lot of her weight on the left."_ Kroq-Gar mentally nods.

_"I…. Oh yeah I see it. I try to aim for that if a fight should happen."_

_"They are in worse shape than us. We could win this."_ I say.

Before I could attempt to organize a plan Yudoa the skink priest speaks up.  
"This is a division between two Leaders! You should issue an official challenge instead of cowering behind your group! You call yourself a Saurus! Shameful Display!"Yudoa spat.

The female warrior seems flustered for not very long.

"*RAGH!* I, Xillic challenge you for the right to lead! If you lose you all will follow me and my lounge!"She growls with a very deep and threatening tone.

"I Rede-Gar accept your challenge. If you lose you all will follow us!" I try to say it with as much bravado as possible.

We both move to a more open space.

She is standing there with her rusty spear but no real armor or clothing to protect her from the coldness.

I am opposite of her with 5 skinks lengths between us.

I make sure to keep my clothing as fluffy as possible.

A trick I learned from my past life in Hema.

Yudoa stands in the center clearly used to the referee job.

"You both challenge each other for the right to lead… You can start when ready-"

Immediately, Xillic starts dashing with a battle cry towards me nearly running Yudoa over who dived to the side in the nick of time.

I had enough time to see her sprinting at me and you could clearly notice her putting her weight on the left leg.

Most Probably hunger and pain are driving her forward to finish this quickly Kroq-Gar comments.

She lunges the moment we are in the range of each other my spear clearly shorter than hers.

I dodge the stab and try to retaliate only to see she is already stabbing at me a second time.

I don't have the time to sidestep and take the hit.

A graze thankfully but I am still on the defensive now.

She presses her advantage with very fast jabs.

With me only getting in 4-5 jabs for her 10 stabs in return.  
It doesn't look good for us.

The space we are fighting is to open to have any cover I could hide behind.

I only can dodge so many times until she finally got her first solid hit right between my rips.

I shout in pain as it pierces my scales.

She tries to pull the spear out only to have my nerves scream at me to get rid of the source of agony.

The spear is stuck!

At that moment of pain, Kroq-Gar takes over and forces my arms clearly pissed at my incompetent fighting.

He stabs her left kneecap and spear arm with crazy fast precision.

Xillic to her credit only hissed in pain but lets go of the spear.

With no more Saurus playing mixer with my innards, I go on the offensive even if very sloppy and clumsy because of the spear stuck in my chest.

"Give up… You are disarmed!" I shout between stabs.

"You are more hurt than me. Weakling!" She replies while trying to grasp the spear which earns her two more stabs to the chest.

The snow beneath our feet is painted in a clear crimson.

She looks clearly worse for wear.

Even with me having a spear sticking out my chest.

She tried to tackle me but I anticipated that and prepared the spear in a braced form in front of me and she pierces herself tackling me.

We both fall to the ground the spear in my chest moving wildly and me shouting in pain again.

After getting rid of the pain induced daze I notice her lying on my side with my wooden spear clearly embedded her abdomen.

She is breathing heavily at that point.

I get up to finally finish this.

"You lost Xillic! Surrender and live on with my group!" I ask her quite forcefully.

While I grab my spear not pulling it out but to control her if he tries to fight.

With a very painful voice:" I…. yield..." Xillic concedes.

"Rede-Gar has won the right to lead! Anyone who wants to contest this result may speak up." Yudoa announces the outcome in a very neutral voice.

None of the four standing Saurus speak up.

"With this my Master you are our leader again. Command us to your wishes."

I fall to one knee.

"Help me with this spear and heal us please.. also prepare the deer we need to eat." I groan in pain.

The adrenaline clearly is wearing off now.

While the skinks and now Saurus helps us getting the spears out of us and started preparing the food Kroq-Gar chimes in.

_"You should be more cautious with our bodies. If I didn't intervene there we would have lost but none the less you fought on and won at the end. We will focus on your combat training now that we have a training partner who is similar to your statue."_

_"Thanks, Kroq-Gar I will try to be better."_

* * *

This evening we shared the prey while not enough to satisfy our hunger completely with the additional mouths to feed it will keep us in the game so the speak.

Xillic is -sorry was the leader of the group of the Saurus.  
She also was struggling with warmbloods before we met who, how she told me purposely pushed her group into the mountains.  
That is what she thinks at least.

The Saurus group is made out of 3 females and 2 males and is in very bad shape.

They looked like us like a week ago but more of their skeleton was visible and their tail fat a Lizardman energy reserve, was quite thin.

The prey they were hunting was deer exclusively with a white Bison to dangerous in their state but being a Saurus meant being slow compared to the deers.

So running after them was their daily routine.

It costed more energy to hunt the deer then it was worth.

The skinks in comparison were a lot nimbler and quicker.

This allowed us to hunt our prey better me herding the prey into a skink ambush who could catch the deer in close combat.

Kroq-Gars idea of course.

I felt pity for the Saurus group.

So, the next days we spend hunting prey only to get our Sauruses energy up.

With our tactics and methods, we yielded quite the catch daily.

I was training with Xillic daily after the hunt with us all crafting our trademark boots that quite honestly made me cry.

We finally had more than one spear for each of us after the fifth day.  
Xillic as a way to acknowledge my Leader position gave me her rusty iron spear.

I spend the next day trying to remove the rust with stones chipping it off bit by bit but the rust is still very visible and there without a workshop or similar it won't be enough to remove it.

With the group being somewhat healthy I order us to march south again and hopefully, we will be out of this frozen valley very soon.

AN: Please leave a review if you liked or disliked it!


	4. Between Meat and Flesh

It has been nearly 3 weeks since I arrived here with Kroq-Gar in my mind.

I think my stay here has been to sum it up in one word: cold. Or better Bone-chilling coldness.

The air in front of our snouts mist making our scales very uncomfortable, even with our boots and makeshift torches to warm us somewhat, it is still horribly difficult.

Enough for me to become very snappy with Kroq-Gar in one of his lessons.

We are making one of our rare breaks since the Saurus are up to strength.

We are sitting around a fire and feasting on bear meat or something that resembled a bear.

It has birdlike features around his head, but was a bear all around.

While sitting around a fire I turn to Yudoa who sits next to me eating his portion of the hunt.

Cooked as the group began to imitate my habit of cooking the meat.

Over the days as they saw me doing it.

"Yudoa. Something always bugged me. Why do you follow me? I am interested in your reasoning."

_"What are you asking Human?! This is not something you need to know for now. They will follow you either way if they want or not. You are an Old Blood."_Kroq-Gar protests.

"Master?" Yudoa tilts his head towards me very confused by my question.

"Please answer the question."

"Very well Master." He comes close to my side.

"I follow you because our former master was an incompetent unadaptive old blood stuck in the old ways of our traditions. Hunting mostly alone telling us to stay back hitting us when he fails.  
Before we were so few we assaulted what we thought was a merchant caravan of the warmbloods. Even after Tlilxa and I protested to scout more.  
We attacked. That caravan was a hunting party. Who were hauling dead animals back to their village. We lost way too many in that desperate attack for food.  
With you taking over we started getting fed more and are better off overall than before. The others already noticed the change we don't mind as long as we have decent leadership.  
Logical leadership. For this, I am thankful Master."  
Yudoa finishes with a sigh, but a content smile on his scaly lips.

"I… I am thankful for your honesty Yudoa. It calms my mind that you follow me because of my recent leadership.I count on your future support." I get up and walk towards Xillic as I require her input on our way forward.

"Xillic."

"Yes, Master?"

"Rede-Gar please, I already have to deal with Yudoa calling me master all the time. At least call me by my name Everyone here has earned that right."

"Well, Rede-Gar, what do you desire?" She takes a bite out of her meal.

"You know what we will do after leaving this valley of snow?"

"You mentioned it once you said that finding a better place to live and build a village is the first thing we will do."

"Yes, do you have an idea at how we should archive this?"

"Well, our numbers are quite small. Finding others Lizardmen is the fastest way to bulk up our numbers or having hatchlings is a way, but that takes some years for them to be productive."

"I agree there. Do you have an idea which way we should pursue? Yudoa and Tlilxa are unsure on how to handle that. Tlilxa says reproducing is the better way, while Yudoa is for looking more kins is better."

"Both?" She replies immediately.

"That would leave our already low manpower cut in half." I shoot back.

"Maybe finding more kin is the best way or we only have the skinks get hatchlings. It is your decision Rede-Gar."

"Thank you for your advice." I turn and return to my sitting place.

I compare the options against each other. I find myself in a loop.

I don't really know what is the best decision.

_"You are not going to ask me?"_ Kroq-Gar chimes in with an unusual smugness.

_"Well… What should I- sorry we do?"_ I ask annoyed at his new found attitude.

Maybe revenge for when I snapped at him the days before?

_"We look for other kin. The mating can be left in the forest of Lustria if you ask me.  
It is way too dangerous to have eggs in a place without walls or a dedicated temple guard without fully recovered warriors this will be even harder.  
You seem to forget that compared to my memories you all look very sickly and are honestly unfit in your state.  
I recommend building the village next to a river or large bodies of water.  
Right now the snow is quite helpful for drinking water.  
Outside this valley, I know it will be a problem when we don't have a steady water source.  
While digging is an option we are way too weak to do that in a reasonable time if we even manage to find a good spot._"

_"I understand, we will do the kinsman way. Look for Lizardmen to strengthen our village and then start building up our foundation so we are safe or safer than right now."_

The moment I finished my thought I hear a sneeze in the distance before I could say bless you in reflex a bolt impacts a tree trunk near me.

With multiple bolts following up. Everyone reacted just in time taking cover or diving for it when the first shot came.

"ATTACK! WE ARE UNDER ATTACK! WARMBLOODS ARE HERE!" Tlilxa shouts!

I look around and see… in the bushes, humans in thick brown fur coats and red looking leather armor covering nearly every inch of their body finished with what looks like a leather helmet reinforced with iron. I count up to 7 humans with crossbows.

Kroq-Gar gives me an idea. _"Charge them while they are loading. They have the range advantage. They are close enough so you can catch them while they reload to even the odds."_ I mentally signal to Kroq-Gar that I agree with his idea.

"Lizardmen! Go in as groups! Charge them while they are reloading!" I shout my order.

And so the charge commences.

* * *

**Half an hour before.**

"We are tracking these damn lizards for what feels like weeks!" Maxim the youngest of our hunters complains.

"They have been quite usually fast in their movement. They would take a lot longer to traverse in this cold. It is surprising, but their tracks are getting fresher by the minute." Olaf the veteran hunter stoically answers.

"Well, that maybe are sure it is worth the Skinks leather?" Maxim asks.

"They also have an Old blood Saurus. These are worth a lot if we get his skull in good condition. His skin alone would make every single one of us set for this year. That means no more shit jobs to take." Olaf points out.

"Yeah, I forgot about that one. Quite weird that they *sniff*... They tried to assault a caravan." Maxim sniffs obviously starting to get ill.

"It doesn't matter why. We will get their skins and get rich off it." Olaf laughs.

Not even a minute later.

The leader hunter Gunter raises his arm. "We are getting close boys. Ready the crossbows and keep your axes at the ready. We are going hunting." He gives a toothy grin.

The entire group of 12 hunters simultaneously drops their backpacks in front and each of them assembles a large crossbow in a short minute.

They load a bolt with barbed tips with a wind up mechanism.

They slowly make their way through the forest the leader hunter following the fresh tracks in front of them.

The group doesn't show any sign of fear as they know the Lizardmen group is weak and outnumbered.

After a while of searching the immediate area, they find a group of Lizardmen sitting near a fire and eating meat.

"Hey, I thought it was only one Saurus?" Maxims ask quite worried Olaf who is next to him.

"I only see two Sauruses don't worry one more is something we can't handle." Olaf reassuringly tells his younger companion.

"Just aim at the older Saurus. Ah, there you see him?" He points a large Saurus with a weird mark on his left shoulder and some marking that are displayed on the faceplate.

"Ye-Ye-Yea *AAAH*" Maxim tries to stifle the sneeze that is tingling up his nose.

"Hey don't sneeze now. You will give us all away!" Olaf worried hisses at him.

"I got it…. Don't worry" Maxims wiggles his nose in pure desperation, but alas, his body who has been marching for more than a week in this snow coupled with the group making him look regularly for firewood and him not having the best tent at all has made him ill.

"*AHH SHUUU*" In reflex, he tries to hold his nose, but Maxim accidentally brushes against the firing mechanism of the crossbow fired off a shot before the group could access the situation completely.

This causes him to miss his target and hit the tree near him instead.

The hunters surprised, but not shocked try to fire in time.

The Lizardmen already ducked into covers of different variety like bushes, trees and rocks.

"Fallback and form up Veterans! Pull your weapons! Recruits! Reload while we hold them off!"  
The Leader shouts in confidence knowing only Skinks and 2 Saurus are manageable for them.

The low growls and battle cries are somethings he didn't expect from the Lizardmen at least not so many of them of the 1 Old Saurus and 6 skinks became 6 Saurus and 6 skinks.

All of them charging!

They look way healthier than one would expect of a race that lives normally in a warmer climate.

This is not good for us Gunter the leader notes in his head.

With this, a melee in the favor of the Lizards endures.

One Saurus stabs two of the reloading hunters before forced to defend against an axe wielding warrior.

One of the Hunters managed to kick a skink hard enough to hear his ribs crack. He got stabbed in the knees in retaliation by a more warrior looking skink.

"Recruits into Melee! They are more of them than we expected, but we can kill them!" The leader of the hunter shouts.

The old Saurus noticed that the leader was rallying the morale and began charging at Gunter.

The leader nimbly dodges the lunge and retaliates with a swing of his axe.  
The lizard dodges a bit too late and was grazes under his chin.

* * *

The brawl continued for more than 4 minutes already and it became very fast, clear that the humans are winning this by a small margin.

3 out of 12 hunters are out of the fight while the Lizards had 4 out of 12 out of the fight but all Saurus are still up.

The hairs of the leader stand up.

The air felt quite electrified.

Before he noticed what was happening a thunder shakes the air and a lightning bolt in the distance roars.

"They have a MAGE CASTER! KILL HIM BEFORE IT IS TO LATE!" Gunter roars.

"I found him I got this boss!" Olaf shouts already charging the caster.

Olaf ran towards the Skink a Skink priest, he noticed.

They are a rare kind and very valuable!

Before he closed the distance he noticed the old Saurus is in front of him guarding the priest.

Wasn't he engaged with the leader before? Olaf asked himself confused.

He takes a quick look over his shoulder and saw his leader down on the ground bleeding heavily from three stab wounds that are near his heart.

"Be...care...ful Olaf… he ...is ...the m-most dan-ngerous" The leader wheezes in his last dying breaths.

Olaf engages the old one, he must kill the priest no matter what!

He may not be the well versed in magic still everyone knows to never let a caster cast!

The priest is muttering incantations in a quiet voice to himself.

Olaf knows when he finishes what he is trying to do it won't end well for them!

Olaf sticks to the basics and tries to probe the defense of that Saurus.

He may not have noticed that, but the Saurus slitted eyes open in recognition in the face of Olaf technique.

"He uses a basic Hema axe form! For axe fighting! *Huh* Holy smokes these humans are fast." Frederick says to Kroq-Gar while dodging the quite skilled strikes of the human called Olaf.

_"Don't mess this up… I intervened with the leader so the priest stays unhurt. I won't be able to do that in this battle again. Do not fail me."_ He pressed that last bit with more force than usual.

Our lives are connected so I can understand.

Still, my Hema knowledge will help if he is really using what I think he is using.

I wait for an opportune moment and NOW!

Olaf tries to cleave through my defense with an uppercut and undercut swing, but I predicted that and stabbed him in the shoulder before he could recover from the swings.

He looks surprised as well!

He jumps close to go past my spear range and grasps it as well.

I would be pretty fucked if I were a human, but I am Lizardman now.

He tries to cleave at me, but I predict the movement and grasp his arm in the upswing.

I dig my claws in his wrist blood already drawn as he screams.

He tries to get free, but my grip is stronger than his.

He starts punching me with everything he has, it hurts me and even tries to kick me in balls.

This will end now.

Ohh, I can play dirty too. Opening my maw I bite into his arm with my razor sharp teeth and completely crush his bones with my jaw strength the human screams in pure agony.

I wish he would stop moving already.

He doesn't so this next step is what I really dread.

I bite his neck and start clenching my jaws.

I am quite larger than him so I can fit most of his neck in my mouth.

He ceases to struggle after breaking his neck with a disgusting cracking sound.

_"You know. Human. I thought. You wouldn't have it in you to kill another human in this brutal way. For your standards at least. Still, this battle is far from over!"_

Thankfully, my Lizard body and Kroq-Gar let me keep calm about me killing a human and he is right.

Concentrate on what is happening now!

I don't respond, but I mentally nod to Kroq-Gar and agree with his statement.  
To survive this new world, I need to become a colder person.

Heh. Cold Blooded.

What is wrong with me joking in a time like this?

Behind me, I feel the wind swirling into a vortex around Yudoa.

He holds his incantation for ten more seconds.

He points at each fighting human once.

*KRASHKRAA*

A massive wind burst is released and the air thunders and roars the sky is lit up with multiple lightning bolts crashing down from the sky striking the remaining human combatants wiping them out immediately.

Yudoa is breathing heavily I catch him before he falls over.

"You alright there Yudoa?"

"I will be fine master. Please gather the hurt Skinks or the ones on the brink of dying." Yudoa breathes quite heavily. I trust him to know his limits the best.

"Gather the injured around Yudoa!" I shout to the standing Saurus.

While the Saurus help to get the skinks to Yudoa I see Xillic stand above one of the humans who is still alive as it seems, the mist from his breath is an indicator.

I walk over to her.

"He survived the lighting?" His seared flesh left this human quite disfigured.

"He won't live to see another day," Kroq-Gar adds.

"I know maybe we should try to speak with him?"

"What has a human to offer for us other than being food right now?"

"I am not sure, but I want to try maybe we get information out of him?"

"Ask away then."

"Hello? Do you understand me?" I ask the burned human.

I have received the most confused look ever as an answer.

Oh great, this is what I needed a language barrier, but wait a moment, how do the others understand me then?

This doesn't make any sense. How can I talk with-

"Y-you speak our l-language?" The young looking human responds.

Well, or he was just confused at the large Lizard speaking.

"I do," I reply.

"What is your name?" I ask.

"S-save me ple...ase *argh*" He cries.

"You will die with less pain when you answer my questions. Why did you attack us?"

"Y-your skins… are valuable f-for collectors- please. H-heal me." He sobs tears flowing down his burned cheeks.

"Ah, poachers. Well was your group the only one following us?"

"Y-yes.. plea-ase it hurts." He wheezes strongly.

"I will. Just one more. Do you or better did you capture Lizardmen?"

"I-I don't… *agh* know I was j-just working to get money for my mother."

"Noble cause. Still, I find it disgusting that you hunt my kin for that. You should have worked as a blacksmith. Maybe in the next life?"

Panic runs over his face he tries to crawl away at me uttering the last sentence, I plunge my spear into his chest.

I am still a bit shocked at myself how easily I ended this human life.

It concerns me a lot.

I hope I didn't lose all of my humanity. This feels very unnatural to be this calm about this.

_"You didn't. Human. Not yet. Talking with prey? What did you gain? Nothing."_ Kroq-Gar growl in a disapproving way.

_"I now know their reason for sure. We are being hunted for some nobles accessories. Not for their survival."_ I counter back.

"You speak warmbloods tongue?" Xillic ask me.

Damn, I forgot about her.

"No, not really. I just. Did it." I reply.

It is a good question. Why was I able to speak with him?

This doesn't make any sense.

_"We are reincarnated souls stuck together and you question why you can speak two different tongues?  
Your priorities are not set straight human, but to humor your nonsense maybe the mark on your shoulder is a reason?"_ Kroq-Gar mentally nods to our left shoulder with the teardrop tattoo.

"You just did it?" Xillic asks again.

"My mark." I point to my shoulder. "It gives me the power to do so." I am not even sure myself, but I just bullshit her better than saying "I dunno"

"I see Rede-Gar, what should we do with their bodies?" She didn't buy but chooses to not press it to which I am thankful for.

"First, take their weapons and equipment and kill the surviving ones if there are any. Then we eat after the injured ones are treated."

I turn to Yudoa and walk over.

"Yudoa! How many are hurt?"

"One lost her arm. I lost concentration over my cast magic , forgive me, Master...I am ashamed a Skink brother has died before I could get to him. The others are scarred and weakened, but should rest."

One dead and another one is amputated.

This hits me harder than I thought.

I look at the one who lost her arm.

She won't be able to work normally again.

The other a male skink is dead. His chest was caved in. It hurts me to see them in this state. I am responsible for the charge.  
I followed Kroq-Gars idea, but in the end, it was my decision. I know we made it out with light to nearly none permanent casualties.

I should be happy, but I can't bring myself to feel relief or happiness.

The rest of the day we spent gathering back our strength and stripping the humans. We took their armor and repurposed them for our bodies.

After eating them, which was I was still a bit reluctant to do.

I ordered a grave to be dug for our lost member with Yudoa doing a ritual to safely guide him to the afterlife.

We found a map in the pile of equipment a couple dozen silver coins and a lot of utility tools like a shovel, rope, torches and 2 doses of axes.

Tomorrow after the battle we build multiple drag cots to have the recovering Skinks transported. I ordered the Saurus to drag them.

I of course help carry one of them. I still feel guilty about the death of one follower.

When I looked at the map I found out we are in Cornsay valley of the massive Cornsay Mountains.

It resembles the Alps in a way they formed, but a valley cut through the mountains forming what essentially is a cup.

I noticed that we are near a lower hilled area called the Brandlands.

With scarce villages and a couple of cities occupying the area, but mainly concentrated away from the Cornsay Mountains.

Multiple large rivers are also following down the Cornsay mountain down to the plains of the Brandlands.

The nation that controls these calls themselves the Celsaykingdom with other possible Kingdoms bordering them.

I decide we will go down to the corner regions of the Brandlands and build our village there.

It's a shame this is only a regional map I liked to know more about this world.

And so we still march on.

* * *

AN:So I hope you guys enjoyed this! I jumped the perspective twice and hope I didn't confuse you too much. Tell me if it was too jarring to read or if you liked it.

Tell any errors I made as well every bit helps! If you have some ideas to improve this story don't be shy.

I got asked about the schedule. I will try to update every 2 weeks at least!

I hope you will be here next time!


	5. Between Wood and Rot

I wish he would shut up. *sigh*

"Master I can't believe it!"

I wish he wouldn't be so obnoxious about it.

"We beat them! We killed the Warmbloods! Finally after all these years!"

My Saurus warriors also seem very annoyed at him. Xillic the most. She looks like she could kill a battalion of humans herself.

And there is the thing with Yudoa.  
Dragging Yudoa after he exhausted himself is a surprising set back. He collapsed after a while on the march.

Something with the amount of magic he used has made him burned out so I tasked myself to drag him on the cots we build.

The other skinks are resting as well. Well, all except one.  
The stoic and serious Tlilxa has shown another side of his or more his true and free side.

"Are we going to raid their caravans next?! Master...I still can't believe it is incredible!" Tilixa is almost jumping with joy.

_"If you don't tell him to be silent I will plunge the spear in our hands in his mouth myself."_ Kroq-Gar growled.

"Tlilxa."

"Yes, Master!"

"Relax and shut up," I order trying to conceal my irritation. I hope this is the end of- Oh no.

"y-yes, Master." He looks like a puppy that got kicked.

Puppy eyes are my weakness.

I remember the dogs on the streets when they come up and you don't rub their bellies they put that "face" but he was annoying everyone.

I will answer his question maybe he will look more like a sad skink than a puppy and make me feel less guilty. I hope.

"To answer your question Tlilxa. We will not raid anyone. We will build our village first. We are nearly out of this valley. Do you know? Out of this cold. You must have noticed it gets warmer the further we go."  
I nod to the ground where if you paid any attention you notice it is slightly going downhill.

We also saw some small streams with flowing snow also gets less and less.

This is a good indication for the weather getting warmer.

The mountains on our flanks are getting more leveled out too. We are nearly there. Out of this bloody cold hell.

After a week of travel, we eventually reached the Brandlands plains.

Finally.

We are still in a forest but with more and larger clearings showing up.

We are following one of the dozen or so streams and rivers that flow out of the Cornsay Mountains.

The skinks are up and working again except Yudoa whom I told to stay in the drag cot.

He lied about being fine than collapsed not even half an hour later.

The one-armed Skink has been giving the duty of maintaining the iron weapons we have. Which are quite a lot when you count the axes of the Humans and their crossbows.

These are very hard to use for our hands well for us Saurus and the large size makes them heavy and cumbersome for the Skinks. To test out how they could use it I order them essentially to go full on power rangers.

One skink aiming the weapon and firing it while two kneel their shoulders used as a firing platform.

I wish I had a camera it looked absolutely hilarious the first time.  
Reloading was also an issue.

Still, I choose to take it with us maybe someone will trade for them? If they don't attack us first, heh.

"Master! Village in front of us!" One of the Skink I send to scout calls out to me. The skink comes up to me at a quite fast pace.

"A village. Did you see any Humans or Warmbloods in there?"

"Not really. I didn't go closer the moment I spotted it. I wanted to be safe and waited some moments to pass but no movement."

"I see." I stroke my chin thinkingly.

_"Kroq-Gar. Your call?"_

_"Send a bigger Scout group. Ambush If it is a small village but get more information only then we can act without getting us in danger."_

_"Thanks, Kroq-Gar"_

_"Don't thank me. I am doing this because we are stuck here with a task We need to absolve."_

The scouts and I move together back to the spot where the "village" was seen.

I told the rest of the group to wait for me to come back.  
As we move through the thick bushes and grass of the forest.

I immediately understand what they meant with "village". This supposed village looks abandoned. It is the middle of the day and I don't see any People or hell any children playing outside.

It looks truly deserted from this range.

"Let's move closer I want to confirm something."

As we closed the distance a dirt path laid bare in front of us.

We started walking beside the dirt path still in the thick under a bush of the forest.

A short while later I noticed a sign. "Waldsdorf."

I pull out the map we took from the hunters. There.

The eastern parts of the Brandlands are vacated this village is marked as empty too.

As we pushed past the rotting wooden walls and gate.

I smile.

A large river runs through the village.

This village looks like it had up to 100 to 300 people in it. With multiple 2 story buildings and a more massive brick building near the center. Most of the village is build from plain old wood.

I turn to one of the scouts "Call the others. We finally got a new home." I tell him my relief clear to be heard.

I decide to explore this Village a bit more.

I notice one thing has been apparent. Decay and rot.

All the buildings look older than a century or so I guess. The roads, in particular, are overgrown or just peppered with wild grass. The roads are all dirt paths too. Except near the center with the brick building. A village hall, most likely.

The center of this settlement has something resembling a square. I can also see a blacksmith building which will come in quite handy when we get more Lizardmen together.

On the West the direction away from the mountains I notice large open fields. Wild wheat or at least something that looks like it growing on it. I will ask Yudoa about it. With the bread, we can hopefully depend less on hunting. It was becoming quite the chore to kill nearly an animal a day.

Not so far I see many grain towers. The infrastructure is here is untouched for the most part but why is it abandoned for so long?

Getting everything running will require a lot of time and energy. Thankfully we started getting more meat on our bones. We resemble more and more a healthy Saurus and less a skeleton who has gained conscious.

Everything seems to be good for us. Let's hope I- No we will and can keep it this way.

* * *

** One Year Later.**

A lot has changed. I got appointed as the Leader of the Lizardmen again. Fighting off another Saurus group we brought in from the mountains you see?  
A challenge for the right to lead again, this time I won that quite easily he was so malnourished that him blocking my full powered strike resulted in broken arms for him.

Not only that our group has grown over 150 Lizardmen. With even two Kroxigors so help us.

Our majority of the population are skinks followed by the Saurus. We even have some hatchlings to take care of too. They came with the groups as we prioritized finding more lizards.  
To better protect our future I ordered to repurpose one of the better defendable building to a kindergarten essentially.

With a lot of persuading on my part we also started farming and when the first bread was baked the reaction was quite…. harsh.

Massive denial was the reaction.

I liked the taste of fresh bread but the others didn't seem to like eating bread, not because of the taste but it was a warmblood thing to do.

The pride of Lizardmen got them into these circumstances as well I muse.

I told them we need to take everything to make us strong again we can't hunt the wildlife for all time if we want to outmatch our enemies. As a compromise, we started an insect and rabbit farm. (Kroq-Gar told me of massive domed insect farms that's how the Lizardmen in his world fed their armies partly).

We build little domes that came quite easily to the skinks and got or insect farm running quite was.

The rabbit farm... was a lot harder to manage.

They kept digging and jumping until we figure out how to keep them in a place I put the project on the low priority as to focus on rebuilding the settlement.

40% of the village has been patched up the walls got in acceptable condition after we reached the first 50 Lizards.

The Kroxigors being quite the boon.

The farms when we reached 100. The insects shortly after the first baked bread.

The blacksmith forge has been in use from day one.

I made Vilaxi the one-armed female skink the leader of the maintenance division.

I know to call it a division is a bit generous but it sounded cool and I wanted to call it that, okay?

Yudoa took over the hatchling care and magical training. We got another mage caster to join us except he was a youngling. Fully grown but not complete in training.  
One of the hatchlings also has shown magical potential. One of the reasons I gave the position to him to examine our hatchlings for potential.

Tlilxa took over basic training. He showed great interest in that job so I gave it to him and he does a quite good job. Even if he is more excitable with each new day. Something about finally having a home is making him so motivated.  
Quite the contrast when I originally met him.

Xillic became the advanced level trainer. She trains everyone in guerilla warfare and how to fight larger foes then yourself more effectively. We both sat down and worked out a doctrine on how to handle warmbloods if it ever came to it. With the ideas of guerilla warfare from my history and the military knowledge of Kroq-Gar, it became something we can proudly present and use if ever the need arises.

Kroq-Gar or Kroggy as I like to call him on his good days had become something of a mentor to me. While I never seem to fulfill his expectation he trains me ever vigilant.

Xillic also handles Intruders. Like greedy hunters or plain adventurers.

With blocking roads or herding animals into their direction we push them away. Sometimes we kill them if they are fairly persistent.

I even draw warning symbols to inform them of dangers but they disregard it every time.

Every. Single. Time.

Then they decide to push forward.

Well, the ambush they get themselves into is not always pretty. It supplies us with iron most of the time or tools we can use in our daily work. Sadly no new maps or coffee beans to my dismay.

I decide to visit the hatchling garden today.

I immediately get received by the apprentices of Yudoa the youngling and the fresh hatchling.

The hatchling already picked up our language. The Lizardmen mature considerably fast. Not even 5 years and boom you have him at his peak height.

This is definitely not normal by Kroq-Gar standards but I greet it as a welcome surprise as it helps us get more support on our daily work.

We are barely filling out this village as it is. We can fit like 500 Skinks or 200 Saurus or more.

As I get closer to the 2 story stone building that is still overgrown with moss and grass. A voice greets me.  
"Master! Welcome!" The youngling greets me in front of the door with a squeaky voice.

"Good day. Chuxi." I remember him. He sticks to Yudoa like a second shadow. Speaking of Yudoa.

"Master Rede-Gar. What brings you here today?" He asks while making sure to close the door behind him.

"Nothing much. I just wanted to check on the hatchlings. They are very few of them. So making sure they mature right is in our settlements interest." I answer him as we proceed around the building into the backyard.

There we see a group of hatchlings building and crafting trinkets while the other little group skips around.

_"Every time we visit here I get the urge to kill these miscreations. They are not acting like proper lizardmen. They are unfinished in every shape and form."_

"Kroggy. Relax. This isn't Lustria or any one of our homes. These are little children and they stay like this for only 5 years. So keep cool."

I receive the most frustrated growl ever.

He really is disgusted by these "miscreations" as he calls them. I find them cute with their big eyes and their mannerisms. While the parents don't take care of them something that is normal for the Lizardmen they are taken care of by our local priest or if there is no priest, an experienced warrior or oldest Lizardman.

"So how is the village situation Rede-Gar?"

"Oh, Everything is quite good. Yudoa. You should know that already." He broke me out of my daydream.

"Just wanted to have you back here. The first ones will mature next year. Then only 8 hatchlings will remain here."

"That is good." I look at the two nearly adult lizardmen. Two skinks. They are a bit larger than the other adult skinks but not by a lot. They seem happy and are well fed that is what is important for me.

"Winter will arrive soon." Yudoa states.

"I know. Two seasons ago we were lucky to be less than 50. Hunting could only sustain us so much."

"The grain tower we restored is filled and will be enough to feed us over the winter combined with our small insect farms."

"Yes thank goodness. We managed to get one harvest in before the autumn was over. We have enough to feed twice our numbers so any groups that are left in the mountains can join us but I fear we have nearly gathered everyone from there. Do you think we are the last ones remaining?" I ask with an unsure voice.

"Most likely Master. We have sent teams up there all year and in summer we didn't find anyone else since the last group arrived."

We both stay in silence. Enjoying the relaxing atmosphere around the goofy hatchlings.

Until we heard fast footsteps nearing us very hastily.

I turn and see one of you skink scouts run like the devil himself is chasing him.

"MASTER! MASTER!" he as I noticed his tail begins to speak.

"Breathe in and out and tell me what has happened." I answer in a calming voice.

"We found something interesting! We found a warmblood youngling traveling with an intruding group!"

"A child?" Now, this has piqued my interest.

"Why didn't you kill the spawn?" Yudoa asks in a quite hostile manner no wonder. The warmbloods hunted us like animals.

"It wore clothing that was different. Fine silk and silvery buttons."

"A noble? Is the child hurt?" Maybe I can talk with the squirt.

"He is unhurt. We made sure to bind his vision and limbs."

"I see. Yudoa this takes my attention. Can you send somebody to the forge and ask how the iron mines are running and if we can finally forge more weapons and armor? Ask Vilaxi the one armed skink. She is running that as you know."

"Consider it done." He nods.

"Now bring the child to my house and up to my study." I am quite enthusiastic about meeting this warmblood.

My study as I liked to call it is in truth a simple room that is very spartan, one wooden table and some stools previously chairs. I let the top half cut away so our tails are more liberated and sitting down doesn't resemble a docking scene from a popular science fiction movie.

I sit on my stool behind the table as two Saurus escort the blindfolded kid into the room.

His fear is written all over his face.I motion to unbind his eyes.

The blond kid nearing puberty blinks multiple times before he starts screaming and trying to run away from me with all his might but the scouts hold him in place.

He struggles for more 10 seconds until I-  
"Either you shut up or we will eat you know!" The guards look surprised.

I switched languages. Perfect. Oh, and the kid aghast expression is a confirmation too.

"Y-You speak! Our language! How?"

Bold of him to ask first in this situation.  
"You don't ask the question here. I do. First. What. Is. Your. Name."

"C-Colin. Colin Vienne." He responded fast.

"Well, Colin. Why did you lurk around the forest?"

"I didn't lurk! I was kidnapped!" Colin shouts.

"Don't you dare shout at me again! You came to our home! Don't expect any mercy!"

"It wasn't my choice I was forced my lord …. I am sorry what is your name?"

"Rede-Gar. Now we have a problem, Colin. Your "kidnappers" are dead and you will sadly join them as well. To protect our secret." I really didn't like to kill him but I must protect my home. If he were younger and a peasant I would have released him near a town but he is a noble with power as his smooth clothing indicates.

The moment I uttered the word "kill" he started quite obviously racking his brain for an idea any idea, before I could give the order. He speaks up.  
"Wait! My father! He will look! Look for me! If you kill me and he finds out you are responsible he will burn everything down."

"_Tell the brat we will just lay his corpse next to the kidnappers."_ Kroq-Gar chimed in.

"Well, we could just place you next to your dead friends." The color drained from his face.

"No… He will! He will burn down the forest to find the camp or something! He will not stop! Until I have been revenged."

"Empty threats will not save your life."

"Please! I guarantee you he will! Spare me and have favor from a noble. You recently saved me from the bandits. Please!" He practically begs me tears are already flowing down his cheeks.

But his idea of a favor has merit.

"You… are right. You will not be released. You will stay alive... as our prisoner. For an indefinite amount of time." I tell him and the next moment he tries to get on his knees.

"Thank you. Thank you!"

_"The manspawn didn't realize you just gave him a life long sentence."_ Kroq-Gar scoffs.

I address my guards.

"Get him in a cell or something small windows, have him guarded by at least a Saurus and a skink. Feed him once per day. With water and bread only, can't have him go ill on us."

"If this Colin is saying the truth. We will have war at our home." I move over to the table and start craving the key points of the conservation into small square wooden plates as Colin gets dragged off.

"This is very disadvantageous. We must prepare for war. The village as it is now is unprepared. We should stock up our equipment. We need armor and good weapons."

"Right. We should start getting the Kroxigors to the mine instead of our restoration efforts for the village."

All of this will entails planning. We should consult Yudoa and the others too. They need to be informed.

Let's hope we can move out of this unscathed.

An:  
Sorry for getting this out later as planned. I was very VERY unsatisfied with the first ver. of this chapter. (Burned it in a holy fire)  
Well, tell me if you liked this chapter or disliked it.  
I hope I will see you next time.  
The next Chapter will be out of other perspectives the friends of Frederick and how they are keeping up as well the Noble who lost his son recently.

This chapter also marks the first "arc" to be over. The second has already begun as you most likely noticed.


	6. Between Trees and Earth

A middle-aged man is standing in a hall surrounded by other nobles.

This man is none other than Marc de Vienne the Duke of the Brandlands and he is standing in his castle.

Castle Branvic.

While the Brandlands are a small province as In terms of people living there, it is not poor by any chance as the Industry and magical talents are strong here. Which can be attributed to him reigning with a strong hand and his endless search for talent in the peasantry.

He looks out of the large oval window complementing about what to do while Barons and knight argue what should be done.

"We should send out the Knights to mount a massive search!" A Knight shouts eagerly to win favor.

"Are you daft! We would leave our holdings ripe for raiding! No, we should send a letter to the guilds!" A baron chimes in to undercut the obvious powerplay.

"Maybe we should raise the peasants to help quill the bandit camps!"

"We don't even know if they are bandits! This was to professional! Maybe the other Dukes have their fingers in this!"

"Or somebody profiting by selling the heir of the Vienne to the highest bidder!" The bickering continues before with a booming voice the Duke de Vienne himself interrupts the quarrel.

"They have my son! You lot are bickering who did or not." He gets quieter as all the focus now lays on him.

"We must first locate my son not go into a witch hunt for basic banditry."

"Sir Geral, you take 5 knights or man of every Noble in this room and conduct a search. Do it thoroughly and we will give a bounty for my son any tip to his whereabouts so the bloody peasants can earn their part. Does this sound satisfactory?"

A steady yes and nodding goes through the hall like a soft wave.

"Now leave all of you we will talk further this evening Sir Geral, a word."

The nobility vacates the hall leaving only Sir Geral and Marc de Vienne to themselves.

"Mylord?" He kneels in front of his lord as etiquette prescribes.

"Rise you fool. We are alone."

"Just making sure if you are stuck up fancy pants." The middle-aged knight smiles.

"Hah. You know... I never expected this to happen. My only son. Kidnapped in my Home on the night I was not here. These cowards." His hand goes through his thinning hair.

"It's a bloody shame. I was coming back from the bandit hunt as well- and now this. But tell why did you want to speak with me alone?" Sir Geral replies with regret as he didn't rush back to the Castle but his man needs to rest properly or they would buckle if something unexpected where to surprise them.

"Geral. It isn't your fault." He closes the short distance.

"I know you blame yourself for this. Don't." Marc says very softly as to assure his lifelong friend.

"I am sure somebody of my vassals has orchestrated this. The annual Realm council and that time I am gone he gets kidnapped. It all adds up. I only told a limited number that my son will not attend because he felt ill. The ones with the power or connections to do were Baron Freade , Baron Schade and Baron Gunst but I don't exclude others as well, except the young Baron Gunst he is to marry my oldest daughter the coming season... but that is what I am thinking, trust none." He speaks quietly bordering on whispering but is loud enough for it not to be.

"So, you want me to keep an eye on the Knights of the Barons? Consider it done." He responds in the same quite tone.

"Also speak to Haltur one of my court mages. He should give you a special talisman. One that should help locate Colin. My son has magical talent after all." Marc tells Geral in a quite amused tone.

"Those who dare to threaten my family will feel my wrath." His face consorts in one of pure fury as he turns to the large window looking outside. As the acknowledge his anger the skies begin pouring down rain on mass with lighting matching his fury striking down.

Xxx

"Master you think we should use him as a hostage?" Yudoa ask to confirm my question.

"Yes. That is what I think is right but I am not the only one in this village... Tell me what should we do?" I ask again into the "round table" which is more of a "round circle" with all leader of the village sitting in a circle on the village plaza.

Those who have their own sector to lead are classified as a leader this can range from the forgers to crafters and farmers up to the trainers of the village.  
The lizardmen who are not a part of the leading circle stay outside with multiple arms lengths way. Far enough to not intrude but close enough to listen if they want.

"I think he should be served up! I like to swallow him hole!" Our resident Kroxigor named Gab-gru at the round circle chimed in. As one of only two Kroxigors in the village I gave her an extra seat on the circle as she does a lot of the heavy lifting with her partner.

"You only think about food. Which is the right thing. The warmblood should die." Xillic the female Saurus who is responsible for the advanced training coldly states.

"I see the merit in keeping him alive but what if he escapes?" Yudoa himself adds.

The arguing about what the fate of the human continued for a short while. I listen to each of their arguments and points as to have him dead or alive.

"Lizardmen!" I shout to gain the attention of everyone.

The argument ended for two thirds of the circle to have him dead.

"Thank you for all your input." I answer.

"_Well Human. What will you do?" _Kroq-Gar asks.

"_Something that you are mostly not capable of._" I retort smugly.

"A compromise!" I say out loud.

"That fine clothed warmblood will only live for half a year. After that he will be offered as a sacrifice!" I finish while standing up and spreading my arms in a priestly fashion to emphasize our camaraderie.

"That sounds good for everyone?" I look around to see if there is anyone who is not satisfied.

My response is a slow breeze of nods.

"Well then? Back to work."

As I head to the "prison cell." Yudoa catches up to me.

"What is it?" I ask noticing his presence.

"I wanted to give the answer of the forger. Thanks to Gab-gru we managed to get enough metal by clearing the mine of the left-over rubble so we can start forging weapons on our own without using the equipment of the dead warmbloods. Should I give the preplanned armor plates in order?"

This is a huge win. Finally, we can start building our own stuff. Tailored to our need to our bodies. Enough with the shitty chainmail.  
Something I found out after a year in this new world is that the metal around here sucks or to be more precise to armor our hunters wear sucks. It feels like only the desperate are coming here which is a boon and a curse.

"_I can tell you Human. Even if you have all the armor in the world nothing will resist the strike of a full rested Saurus. We were made for War. Our scales protect us already."_ Kroq-Gar chimes in my head.

"_Didn't you have a metal arm which shoots pure sunlight?"_ I shot back.

"_A present of the Slann is not to be rejected especially if it is a relic of the old ones. That is something quite different."_

"_Sure, Kroq-Gar. If you say so."_

Oh, I nearly forgot Yudoa wants an answer to his question with the armor.

"Of course." I answer still walking towards the makeshift prison. While the village is not huge it takes some minutes to get from the square to the prison.

"I recommend only telling the half-truth master." Yudoa quickly adds.

"If he has to fear time, he will get desperate and we know how that ended for us. Desperation that is." He finishes with a solemn tone.

He refers to the time of Xin-zal the last Warmaster. He pushed the warmbloods to extinction if the tales are to be believed and that was also the reason he lost or the times before I took over this body.

Xin-zal took everything in his conquest. So much that the warmbloods had no way but to disperse which in turn cost him the war.

Well who knew that shattering armies and not routing them to the last man that was a good idea?

"_An amateur. Nothing more. Getting beaten by enclosement. HAH! That's my specialty! If there an enemy to every side you can only win by fighting your way through."_ Kroq-Gar replied to my thoughts.

"_Well, it a bit unfair to compare to you Kroggy."_ I smirk mentally.

"_He called himself a Warmaster. The leader of all Lizards and lost with everything stacked in his favor." _Kroq-gar hissed in pure distain.

"_I will make sure that we will not repeat the mistakes of the past."_ I try to assure him.

"_I hope. For __**our **__wellbeing." _

Xxx

"Wake up." I kick the sleeping human.

"_**mumble mumble**_ only... 5.. more... Minutes..." he turns to the other side as if I was his mother.

"Colin Vienne. If you don't want to die here, I recommend you to get up." At the exact moment his eyes break open. He tries to spring up but the chain(courtesy of the hunters) at his arm hinders him.

"Well slept?... I think so." My, my he looks horrible and that face of his just spell's hopelessness in big capital letters if I might add.

"It... was...real... wasn't it?" he mumbles just barely auditable.

"Real? Quite so. Colin." Man, I don't enjoy torturing other people but he makes me feel like a pretty evil guy. Another reality in this world.  
For them I am the enemy but for me they are genocidal maniacs. Well the ones who come into this forest at least.

"Good news. You are being spared death by Kroxigor. Bad news is you are our prisoner. Your rights as of now are one meal per day and no beating or nibbling by Lizardmen. Sounds good? If you want to talk with me you have to tell the guards outside. If I have time I will come to hear if you have anything to say."

"I see." He seems more awake now most likely because he got told something resembling prisoner rights. Resembling human society.

With that I turn around. I got to prepare for the coming war. I don't know when, I don't know how but I know it will come.

I already have a plan. Anyone who want to attack our village has to go through what I like to call Vietnam 2.0 not only will the trees talk, no the earth will as well.

"Ehm, Lord Rede-Gar."

"Hm? What is it?" I turn around as my thought are disrupted.

"Can I get a bucket?..." He asks sheepishly.

"What for?" For what does he need a bucket?

"Eh? For going for little lords?" He states is as a matter of fact.

"Oh." This is going to be great. *Sigh*

AN:  
First off SORRY.  
Sorry for not updating. I had some pretty big stuff on my shoulders the last few months. That needed most of my attention which left little for writing and such.

I know this update is small. But that is what I could churn out in the time frame when I was released from my burdens.

Another update will follow in the near future and no I don't mean a month or something of that style.

Also 24 followers! 16 favorites!  
I am moved. I cannot express how happy I am that somebody would read my fanfic and also like it! Thank you truly.


	7. Between Trees and Earth Part 2

Back at the Castle Branvic.

"His son has magical talent indeed," Haltur the old gray-haired humpback wizard told Sir Geral while he was in his workshop. He was fiddling around with stuff and then just hands the Knight a trinket and a little vial with blood.

"Pour the blood into the vial and the talisman should get hotter if you are walking towards his direction." He explained pretty proud of himself, how he got a vial of blood from the young lord Sir Geral won't question for the sake of his nerves but then he added something else.

"Some words of advice. The talisman will only be active for a short while so choose the timing smartly. Hehehe." He crackled like a damn witch! Sir Geral already disliked the man. Haltur was the most suspicious person if somebody were to just meet him but he is a kind hearted man even if sometimes weird. Sir Geral knows it will be a massive undertaking to get the young lord and will overlook his personal feelings so he can archive his objective of rescuing the young Lord.

"But this won't be the only help you will receive. My student Hilda will join you on this quest to rescue the young lord. She will be of great use. Hehehe." Before Geral could offer any objection.

"Before you have anything to say. She will be of great use trust me. I added her to the search troops on my recommendation to Lord Marc and he agreed to it... and she needs experience. Hehehe." He finished with his irritating crackle.

"I understand. Where is she right now? So, I can explain her tasks for this mission." Geral deflated at the explanation of Haltur. He couldn't very well deny any help in the quest of rescuing his lost son especially the help of a Mage student.

"In my library. Writing down, learning everything, as always." He grins into empty space as if he was reminiscing in his thoughts and to his thoughts, the knight leaves him be.

"To be honest that a knight needs to still go and fetch someone in a good change of pace even if it is bothersome." He mutters to himself his plate armor clanking softly in the stairwell.

He descends the wizards tower and went to Lord Marc's library which is in the castle.

As he closed in on the library the smell of old books grazes his senses the closer, the stronger it gets.

Finally, arriving. Geral takes in the sight of the massive two floor library with books filled to the brim from knowledge to the times of the Great Return to wars of recent times.

The soft scribbling on paper echoes around the room. The warm atmosphere of everything makes it quite a relaxed place.

"I should come here more often but to my task. Where is this Hilda?" As he continues following the sound of scribbling.

Shorty, he finds her, there she sits comfy. Writing something in a big book of hers. The knight walks closer but she doesn't seem to notice his presence.

"_This can't stand anyone who calls him or herself a servant of Lord Marc needs more discipline and awareness._" Sir Geral thinks to himself and prepare his drilling voice. The one reserved for the fresh recruits.

"Hilda! Stand up NOW! At the ready!" As expected, a shrill squeak escapes her while at the same time falling backwards throwing the table over.

"What? How? Where! Enemies?" She swings herself up arms outstretched out of her robes, hands at the ready to cast with her Grimoire. If only she didn't look so disheveled and dirty from the dust. She would have been more intimidating.

Her features are a pleasant slightly more towards cute and adorable then attractive and pretty. Her hair is also striking. They say that magical talents can affect every person differently for her the grassy-green colored hair seems to be how she was affected. She is clearly is still young and her being petite woman doesn't make it any less obvious. She also wears glasses which doesn't surprise anyone.

"Sir Geral?! What do I have the honor to have your attention?!" She asks very surprised to see him.

"Well I guess nobody told you. You are searching for the young lord with me. Get ready we will be heading out shorty." Geral drops the news to her quick and without mercy. A knight can't be bothered to mentally prepare every new recruit. The urge to shake his head at her unawareness he pushes down.

"Wait! ME?! I am just an apprentice to Magistar Haltur! I never had any combat! Why can't another wizard from the academy join you?!" The Academy she refers to is the Cornelius Academy which is the only academy of the Celsay Kingdom.  
Financed by all the Dukes, Baron and the King of the realm positioned in the heart of the realm as well. In the territory of the King obviously.

"Recommendation from your Teacher." The knight smirked devilishly turning around to leave.

"...But! No! This can't be I have so much to write down!" She exclaims panicked nearly falling to her knees as to beg him to let her stay.  
"Please, Sir Geral! I have so much to write down so much, I will forget if I don't!"

Sir Geral just continues onwards he has no time dealing with a Mage who rather stays in a tower then help his liege.

She still tires to stop him by shouting that it is good for the future of humanity if she were to stay and write down. Mages and their delusions of grandeur.

Xxx

**3 Weeks later**

"3 Weeks! 3 Bloody damned Weeks!" Sir Geral kick his helmet out of the tent his anger seeping into the air.

"This is a bloody ridiculous. I have been searching the lands for 3 weeks straight and no signs of Colin bloody de Vienne. ARGH!" He shouts into the tent covered sky. A vein on his forehead looks as if it were to pop if he continued to get more worked up.

"Marc just went to the annual meeting while I was out hunting Bandits-" He rants on kicking up dust inside the tent the pressure of the kick throwing some documents around. These documents detailing all the failure to locate the missing lord.

"What happens the moment, we both left? His son gets kidnapped by the most professional kidnappers of the realm?!" He slowly steadies his breath trying to calm down from his rage deciding a walk around the camp should calm his nerves.

Sir Geral has 275 Man and Woman under his command with barely half of them being soldiers of various barons and lords of Duke Marc's holdings. Notable people being the 2 mages. Hilda and another from Baron Gunst.

"I send out my man to every suspicious individual of the Brandlands from the Barons down to the lowest of criminals who could have a sliver of profit from the kidnapping. Nothing... absolutely nothing..." Sir Geral mutters to himself. He fiddles with the talisman around his neck he has been thinking about when to use it but with no clues as to where Colin could be it would go to waste to use to just get a clue. It would also mean that he failed to recover his lords heir with his own skill.

But a person he didn't notice in his anger fueled self-rant was Hilda. Who was following him.

"Ehm... Sir Geral." The brown-haired knight turns to Hilda in a quick movement. Staring the petite woman down as to dare her to say something wrong.

"What..." Over the 3 weeks he hasn't seen the petite mage regularly. Only a couple of walk bys or in the middle of skirmishes when he went into battle with his man to take out bandit camps who are supposedly had information regarding Colin only to find out that the major or noble used his forced to rid them of the bandits without using their own resources.

After finding out that this was indeed the case Sir Geral forced them to pay for their missions and the supposed reporting to where Colin was becoming less.

"I could help but notice in your ranting. Did we ever search outside of the villages or City's? To the east are the Cornsay Mountains."

"Yes, we thought about that but no one lives there except some savage orcs or demonic beasts. The only one who go there are desperate. Like Hunter who hope to sell their skins for a good price to nobles or merchants."

"Isn't being chased by a Duke with full support a desperate situation?" She counters his point.

"That an even better reason to go there? To guard one young boy, you need two man at least, three to guard him comfortable without the problem of sleep and awareness cropping up." She explains quietly as to gauge his reaction when she noticed that he waited for he to continue she became less shy.

"That is what I would do. Sure, the food and safety could be a big risk but there are countless mines and abandoned villages ready to be occupied! Just fortifying one building could make living out there reasonably save." She finishes with a long-held breath.

"You sure know a lot. Well, where should we search first? The plains are massive and there are countless mines and villages as you said." Sir Geral asks Hilda to her shock.

"W-where to look first? I... I can't decide that for you... You are the com-"

"I am not asking you to command or go there yourself. Just advise me on this. Mages are the most knowledgeable in a lot of things, this situation has happened in nearly every war." He tries to reassure her.

"A smart mage counseling his commander." He finished with a slight smile.

_Her self-confidence is really abysmal. _Sir Geral thought.

"Well... I would survey all the walled villages and the mining hamlets as these are easier to live in after that determine the ones which are the best condition, so you could prepare them with stockpiles of food and water."

Sir Geral was stroking his clean-shaven chin. Thinking for a moment.

"Agreed. Follow me... We got a rough plan and I want you to help me with the strategy table and explain your thought process to the officers" Sir Geral just walk towards a certain tent which the rest of the officers are assembled when a strategy meeting is held.

Hilda is still shocked but when she noticed that she is getting left behind she went after him in a hurry.

Xxx

Resentful.

Anger.

Fury.

These are the emotion I feel right now.

An ambush. My scouts have been ambushed. By green skins of all things.

Why I didn't know. We knew that they existed of course but they lived closer to civilized lands then to us. We couldn't capture any of them. I failed as a leader, again. I pushed the skinks to turn the entire forest in a deathtrap around our village especially towards the human settlements. I forgone the extra Saurus protection as to increase their speed. My impatience killed these brave warriors.

My skinks died, again to my failure.

They killed around 8 of my workers and 1 Saurus which was already bad enough. The rest who survived are hurt for a while even with magical healing by Yudoa. They thankfully killed double the number in greenskins but it irks me all the same.

Goblins wolfs and orcs killed my brave warriors and it irks me so much. Kroq-Gar didn't sorry won't let me live this down.

I couldn't show any strong emotion or the Saurus would become uneasy seeing their leader weak. With Kroq-Gar reminding me all the time I won't even have a chance to forget that fact.

Good old Kroggy nearly died of laughter yes of laughter when he noticed that the orcs, he knew are not the some big muscled Waaagh guys but a slightly skinnier variant of a orc still broad as a wardrobe but not as a truck broad-

"_I didn't laugh. I was amused by the weakness of our enemy even in an ambush we managed to inflict strong losses to their numbers. The fresh equipment of our Saurus are efficient at their task. Make killing easier."_ The overgrown lizard spoke in an amused tone.

We Saurus or at least the normal ones are a bit larger than orcs a lot heavier too. Mass is a major factor in a fight. The reason that the skinks took down is because we drilled them regularly to fight Saurus in one on one and group fights but you can only compensate so much.

Well me? I am an Old Blood so I was half a head larger than my regular brothers. Still!

"_The losses we faced? They aren't easy to replace you know that!"_

"_Of course, I know Human. That's is why you are planning to eradicate these miscreants of the world." _He laughs.

"_Since when have you been so amused by all of this? You seem to be amused by a lot of things lately" _I question him. He has been getting weirder by the day. Laughing quietly or being very smug by a lot of things.

"_Human you are mistaken. Now concentrate we have the Female one approaching." _He... I could swear he smiled in my mind.

And as he said it. Xillic is making her way to me. She is back from scouting that I ordered the moment the news of an ambush came to my ears. Lets see if she has found something.

"Rede-Gar." She starts. "I have news."

"Well, are these good news? Or just bad ones?"

"Both."

"Start with the good." I want some good news today and not all that negative energy in my mind.

"We found the greens skins but there are on a migration as it seems."

"How is that any good?"

"They are not on a direct course to us but will streak past us. The good part is that they are forced to move."

"Forced? By what? I don't hope it's not a dragon or something like that." Dragon do exist in this world I have heard from Yudoa. They are rare and the intelligent type but should not interfere with our matters.

"From what we gathered they are moving in the opposite of the human settlements. The orcs that ambushed us had manspawn weapons too. The scouts we intercepted as well." She finishes, a certain satisfaction I could discern from her voice.

"Humans... seems that keeping the little noble alive has been the right decision and will come in handy." I hope that the humans are also willing to listen which I am pretty sure they will not but I will try it at least.

A certain smile of Kroq-Gar comes into my mind again. *sigh*

"Well 4 weeks of imprisonment is quite enough for a human. Let's see. Xillic as I remember only half of your Saurus are equipped with our specially forged armor, right?... Hm. Do you think we could start raids on the orcs before they try to pass us as to discourage them to close in on our village?"

"It stands to be seen. We are not as fast as our smaller brethren. We stand and fight not giving away a single step to the opponent." She responds proudly.

"Yes, that is how we would normally fight if this was a pitched battle but remember our time hunting. The Saurus herd the prey towards the skinks into an ambush. So, we just change it up. We use the skinks to bait the orcs into an ambush of ours."

"Yes. I understand the idea. I will choose best warriors and prepare to att- ambush."

At that correction I know. I need to go with them. I need to prove that my ideas have merit and will be effective. Warriors can be a proud bunch.

"I will accompany you. We will see that our brethren will be avenged. You do not kill any of us without consequences. Well will attack them in the morning."

Xxx

The morning came fast.

We are gathered at the border of our village. The sun starting to rise slowly out of the earth on the horizon. Illuminating 4 dozen skinks and over 2 dozen Saurus prepared for war.

Now somebody would wonder as to why so few? Well I only wanted to have my best and well equipped lizardmen out there. Reduce the casualties and such.

I have Yudoa come with us too. Having a priest who can heal and summon lighting is always helpful.

The horde as I slowly began to call them are in the northeast from our village and to our east are the human citys with the Cornsay Mountains to the west.

With the horde being in pursuit by humans most likely. I hope it is not some kind of Elven Hitler who has decided that all greenskins need to die or similar.

That could spell doom for our village which could very well force us to move but back to the gathering but for now I take a deep breath. I climb a large rock so to oversee the amassed war party.

"Brethren!" I pause as to give everyone the chance to turn to me.

"We will tonight raid the green skinned savages who DARE kill our kind! But we will not challenge them in open combat as an honorable Lizardman would do, NO! WE will respond in kind for their cowardly tactics! Remember the plan! Skinks bait, Saurus SLAY!" I roar into the air as to motivate them even more. The response? A deafening roar even from the village! The Saurus beat their shields and armor in rhythm the skinks clack their javelin in tune.

Yudoa seems to be taken in by the energy too. Well and Xillic is... her roar was even louder than mine.

"We move!" With that the march begin once more.

* * *

AN: So, here is the other part of the update.  
As you see Rede-Gar is moving to kill some green skins. With humans doing the same on the other side.

Tell me what you think of this chapter? I hope this chapter was enjoyable to read.

Question should I build a map as to make it easier to see where everything is? It would be only a local map the one that Rede-Gar looted from the hunters.

Well enough talk from my side see ya!


	8. Between Spears and Swords

The sky is clear, the ground muddy.

The war group of Rede-Gar marches on through the forest towards the green skin "horde".

The 6-dozen strong lizardman group march through with an ease that only the ones who know the terrain can achieve.

Their goal is to intercept and raid the orcish horde to stop them from threating their village. Their first safe home since ever.

On the other side, a human company with mercenaries and Knights push into the forest that lay in front of the Cornsay Mountains.

On their way to reach the various hamlets and abandoned villages they fight through the green skins so to secure the area in the case should the kidnappers be in one of those hideouts that they don't have anything that can distract them should the kidnappers try to flee.

On the tip of this company is the accomplished Knights commander Sir Geral. With him are both of his company mages.

Both of these factions are pushing for confrontation with the orcs. Both trying to repel them of the lands for their own purpose.

With both armed groups closing in the first to arrive near the orc provisional encampment are the Lizardmen.

Xxx

Rede-Gar is already awaiting the orcs to ride out with their goblin rider axillary companions. A skink group already are out there baiting the goblins riders into the Saurus ambush. The warriors are hidden in the thick bushes of the old forest.

The Saurus who typically have a certain turquoise color covered themselves with mud from head to tail before the battle.

The goblins chasing the skinks like the devil themselves were behind them hollering and shouting along the way didn't see the saurus in time who reared back in unison with their arms in sync to throw a barrage of wooden javelins which cut through the air with incredible speed.

Thanks to the saurus constitution and strength the normally light damage the saurus would inflict upon armored goblins turned into full on impalement or splintering of the javelins which inflicted secondary damage.

The 30-ish riders died nearly in the instant the ambush was triggered. The survivors finished by the skinks who also laid in wait.

The ambush wasn't done yet.

The slower but bulkier cousins of the goblins are on their way seeing the ambush but embolden by their numerical superiority.

Strength and endurance is what orcs always stood out compared to humans but against a fully rested Saurus and Skinks to watch his back?  
The orcs themselves were haunted by the humans for some time and with no real rest or enough food to go around?  
They had little chance.

Rede-Gar shouted to form up to a spear wall to brace against the massive charge of the desperate orcs. Around 100 orcs are charging the 26 Saurus and 48 skinks who are braced and ready.

The Saurus armed with shield braced normally their mass is more than enough. The skinks on the other hand used their shields to dig in as to create more mass against the oncoming charge which is one of the new counter techniques devised by Rede-Gar and Xillic.

While tested and approved by the Lizardmen, praxis will show their effectiveness.

The orcs deployed some archers but in their culture it is seen as a females weapon. So the few females who took part in the chase fired their arrows but to no effect. The shields and armor, natural or crafted protected them from harm.

The orcs armed are close to reaching the lines. While the forest gives limited visibility, scouting the area and living here gives you a feel for how things are. And in Rede-Gar case having a 8000 years old veteran doesn't hurt.

Before they reached the Warriors of the Lizardmen another barrage of wooden javelins smashed the orcish lines. The shouts of dying or hurt orcs echoed around the forest. The lines are already thinned a little bit with some trampling their own comrades.

The wave of iron clad orcs hit the sturdy wall of Saurus none budging an inch back, giving no momentum to the attacker. Instead the Saurus stood their ground with a discipline of Roman Legionaries. Who at this point all changed to their back up weapons.

The slashing, tearing and biting proceeded heavily in the Lizardmen's favor. The orcs undeterred by the losses continue charging. Some Saurus are being injured but in his place 2 skinks take his place not even a short while later the Saurus returned healed from his wound.

The skink priest Yudoa is in the hidden in the back making sure the wounded are taking care of quickly so to keep up the carnage that the Lizardmen are bringing on the Orcs.

Some heads fly some arms go missing. The orcs are nearly routing as some of their comrades look onto the never waving wall of Saurus.

"Boyz! Kill the big lizard with the markie on right shoulde'!" A orc veteran shouted. The orcs surged to the point where Rede-Gar was fighting.

This pushed the Lizardmen front back. Enough that Rede-Gar was exposed for a short moment.

Long Enough for him to fight 7 orcs alone. IT looked for a moment as if the Old-Blood was overwhelmed.

A axe was already flying through the air poised to behead the Old-Blood.

The tearing of muscle and bones breaking was heard. The massive Saurus was still standing.

The five Orcs who were the nearest dropping dead. The Spear tip of Rede-Gar tinted a deep crimson.

The orcs around him shocked the battlefield frozen for a moment. Trying to understand what has happened.

Xillic seeing the opportunity that her Leader has given gives a shattering roar.

"Charge the Greenskins! Make sure they will regret ever attacking us ever again!" Xillic shouts seeing the wavering morale of the enemy.

The same moment all Lizardmen push through. This is the moment the orcs now break into a full on rout.

"Saurus Slay! Skinks Kill! Make the orcs suffer for their mistakes!" Rede-Gar shouts seeing the rout form.

With this the Orcish troops retreat as fast as possible back to their camp.

From the 140+ green skins only 45 returned. Casualties on the Lizardmen side are near nil. Yudoa healing the wounded immediately after the wound was taken.

The lizards only chased them for a short while Rede-Gar calling them back to make sure that they come out of this with no unlucky deaths.

They retreated a bit back into the forest looting the bodies and taking a lot of them for a fresh meal.

While eating their freshly cooked orc. The Lizardmen are on a high. With a lot of them smirking or being very pleased with the licking of their nose being the indicator.

Rede-Gar sits near his brethren on a campfire.

"Today we showed these miscreants that you do not take the Lizardman easily." He says raising his Spear.

"Don't forget my warriors. This is only a short pause. In a short while we will attack again. The scouts should be returning by now. Eat up, get ready. It time to wipe them off the map." He roared with his head held high and proud. Today he proved his leadership but will the future be so kind to him as well?

Xxx

"At the ready, lads!" A full armored knight with a deep authorial tone shouted. "Time to push the orcs back!" Next to him in formation are other Knights, soldiers and the occasional squire. Full armed and equipped to fight the orcs.

The soldiers pushed on against the weakened orcs. While the green skins buckled before this was before they reached their encampment.

This is it for the green skins if they lose this battle It will be all over for their tribe.

"Com' on Boyz! Pus' em back! We not gunna lose to some hummies!" A more veteran looking orcs shouted in his tongue to motivate his nearly breaking warriors.

And it helped bit by bit the casualties and wounded were mounting on both sides. With the tribes shaman casting spells to stop the enemy mage from casting fire down on them it was all up to the martial arm of the green skin tribe to carry this battle.

The terrain was well picked. The orcs did choose a clearing to rest but it was well protected by heavy bushes so getting in there with cavalry was sub optimal for the human company under Sir Geral command.

So the humans opted for a heavy infantry spear tip strategy with archers and light infantry mainly on the flanks.

The strategy worked until they reached the camp of the green skins. That is where disaster struck. The left side was surprised by a nearly 50 strong orc unit hammering down in a pincer attack.

Sir Geral send the Mage Hilda to help out the left flank to access the situation and help out if necessary.

Hilda was riding there as fast as possible upon reaching and accessing the dire situation of the flank began immediately casting multiple fireballs to ease pressure. While casting multiple after another was exhausting and dangerous if done wrongly she wanted to overwhelm the potential shaman flanking the troops.

To her relief no countermeasures were taken and began casting her less demanding spells.

The cast fireball blasted through the ranks of the attacker. Some already kneeling over as if they just went through a battle already. This didn't deter Hilda as she continued casting.

Firebolt, Frost rays and the occasional reinforce magic was cast to turn the tide back to their favor so much that the flanking orcs broke into a retreat back to the forest but their numbers were already thinned quite dramatically.

Noticing that the immediate danger of losing the left flank was over Sir Geral rode over to the center with the reserve and began taking charge himself. The Heavy Spear tip strategy did always for see that the tip will become "dull and weak" after a while so it is always planned to change it out to "sharpen" the tip and put a fresh one for the time.

With that a deep Horn blared out. The spear tip fighting now to hold the position and wait for their replacement.

Slowly but sure the soldiers who fought at the beginning fell back so fresh ones can take their place. The fight now fully favoring the humans now and with that the order to charge was given.

A high pitched horn blared out.

That is when the rout and the massacre of the orc encampment began.

No one was spared. The soldiers butchered and slaughtered their way through the camp.

Not even sparing the younglings or the elderly. While the tribe Shaman resisted long and hard to give some time for some to flee you can only defend against so many blades before being overwhelmed by steel.

Xxx

Sir Geral was now walking through his recent conquest. The half burned camp still smelled of burned flesh and shit of those who died. Hilda being very new to this kind of senseless murder from her point of view was throwing up in a corner when she saw the burned remains of a orc mother with her young in her clutches. Near one of the burned tents.

"Hilda. Stop it." Sir Geral was annoyed at her sometimes. Even when fighting bandits she would show compassion or mercy choosing to spare them or convince him and his staff to not kill them.

While forced labor is a legal punishment in the Celsay Kingdom it is used sparingly most choosing to kill the offending party instead of letting them live.

"These are not humans. These are animals. Nothing but animals." Sir Geral stated it as a matter of fact. His face stoic as he said it.

"How? How can you say something like that? Don't you see her!" She nearly shouted pointing at the dead mother. "She is still embracing her children trying to protect her! Was this really necessary? To kill them all? Could- Could-"

"We couldn't. You don't take in a feral wolf into your home why should we do it with a orc or goblin?" It sounded cold to Hilda, pure bone shilling coldness.

"Sir Geral... how can you say that with a straight face? These maybe not as civilized as we are but we could have at least spared the young! Do you not have a heart! Aren't you a Father yourself!"

For a moment even the air was still in anticipation of what Sir Geral answer would be. His fist are tightly clutched while he steps closer to Hilda who squeaked at the sudden movement of the tall Knight. With barely a whisper.

"...Do you really think I am so cold as to not have any empathy? The soldiers need a strong commander to look up to. To follow. To listen. And to observe. If I gave the order to spare the raiding orcs what signal would that send?" He looked at Hilda for an answer before continuing shortly after.

"Unlawfulness would rain. Crimes put on a trial with no justice carried out? The law would be no more. Do you understand?"

She weakly nodded.

"Good. Now help me find documents or something that points to humans being here. We need a clue to where the young heir could be."

"Understood!" She tries to put a brave front but she tell herself that she couldn't agree with this. There has to be another way? Yes. Might is Right they say. And she need to get even stronger.

After a searching for clues a while they found a crate with weapons of human design and the dead orcs who were armed with such weapon were of considerable number.

Was this a clue to the whereabouts to Colin? Sir Geral contemplated.

"Hm. What to do?" A short silence took the tent.

The tent was newly erected by the company. In here are the officers and the mages gathering for setting objectives and relaying information.

"Well. It obvious. The orcs took a deal. Undisturbed passage through the forest for weapons. Makes sense for these savages. Their so called village had no real forge to speak of." A officer of Baron Freade spoke.

"That maybe Sir. We still don't know where he is. The only major Village near here is Waldsdorf and that's a few hours away. Not to mention the endless hamlets along the old **road**." Hilda cut in.

"Right you are Lady Mage. Didn't groups of young men also go missing? Over the months?" The officer responded. With that Sir Geral replied turning to him with a questioning face.

"You know people go missing all the time here in the mountains. This isn't something new. We knew of the orcs here for a long time but they didn't raid any major settlement so it was seen as worth intervening in your Lieges eyes." The officer was looking quite embarrassed. But Sir Geral didn't stop.

"So halt your non sensical questions and concentrate." He finished.

"I will sir."

"Good."

"Officers." Geral turned to Hilda, the Mage under Haltur tutorage.

"Waldsdorf is best place to hide in? Do you think the same as me? Do the officers agree?"

A row of yes and nods go through.

"Okay. Waldsdorf is South East from here." He pulls out a trinket from underneath is Tabard.

"With this we can to locate the young lord even better. Now that we have finally a clue." He pours the blood of the vail into the trinket.

For a moment nothing happened. Then shortly after the trinket began hovering in his hand. The item pointing...

Southeast.

"Waldsdorf is in that direction. Waldsdorf is the most likely place he is keep at."

At that moment a soldier burst into the tent. Everyone drawing swords or their books to defend themselves.

The paniked looking soldier raised his hands.

"SIR! Demons are approaching from the South East! On mass! It's an entire War group!"

Xxx

Color me surprised when I found out that the Orc camp got burned to the ground by Humans no less.

The scouts also reported me someone firing fireballs off in the distance.

I was now hit with a Dilemma. Do I lets these humans go on undisturbed? Or Intervene with whatever they are doing?

Humans. Over one year ago I was one of them. I still feel like a human sometimes but some nights.

I feel horrible. I ate humans. I didn't feel much back then. To much was going on I was trying to survive. Trying to fight my way to safety.

Kroq-Gar was also doing something to my emotions back then. It felt weird but not unwelcome in my panic. He was trying to keep me- us alive after all. Just as he did in the recent battle.

I can't really blame him for doing that but sometimes I think.

Was this really the only way? I don't know. Nor will I ever. For now I will survive and try to continue my path. Save Lizardkind.

Now back to my problem. These humans are heavily armored. Plate and Half plate for the most part. The got mages on their team too.  
And no slouches in tactics as well. As the evidence of them holding back and pushing into a orcs village.

They are searching for something that I can guess. Because they didn't burn down everything only a part of it.

Should I try to attack them? I would have the surprise on my side but communication is then out the window.

What if they attack me when I try to talk to them? Or the mage decides to bomb me back to narnia? Or some religious guy freaks out calling for a crusade against us? The so called demons. Ugh.

I know Krog-Gar in his own world would have killed them on the spot. His memories told of some High Elves who respected them and tried to have relation with them. _High Loremaster of Hoeth _Teclis is an example of that.

The empire tho... well. It didn't start well and didn't end well. You just don't start stealing from temples just because they are unoccupied. Especially when the "electricity" is running in the temple. Even if nobody is home.

But here. We can have a new start. The war was a mistake of the Warmaster. I just want Lizardkind to Survive... No I want them to prosper but being at war with virtually everyone won't help you.

Ah... I don't know...

Attack first and continue the war? Or find out what they want and go from there?

I have my bargaining chip, Colin the noble brat but still he talks he is the heir of a Duke but what if he lied and actually is from a minor Noble who was just rich with low political power.

Hm. What I need is soft power. I need a trade partner. The orcs are done from my perspective. To the north there some other tribes of goblin also ugh.

And Kobolds but they are dealing with Draconic patrons and I don't want a freaking fire breathing Jumbo jet after my tail for some minor mistake.

Yudoa said that they are very proud and arrogant but that is only his point of view.

...

Welp. Time to see if the Humans are even willing to talk. If not. Well, let's hope the commander doesn't expect a javelin in their chest.

"Yudoa, Xillic. I got an Idea."

Let's hope this doesn't bite me in the tail.

Xxx

If some were to describe the scene to a traveler from earth.

A Mexican standoff between fully armored medieval Knights and monstrous looking massive Lizardmen is more than fitting.

On the side of the human the weapons are already drawn and are at the ready.

A wide patch of space between the parties. Close enough to hear normal people talk but far enough to react if the other were to charge.

While on the Lizard side the Lizardmen look as if they could break you with their glare alone.

A intense silence was in the air until one of the humans broke it. It was none other Sir Geral himself.

"You said they can speak our tongue? Didn't you Soldier?" He ask the soldier who busted into the tent recently.

"Yes Sir."

"Well It seems as if the Cat got their tongue." He finished.

A deep low hissing sound broke into the ears of everyone.

"Well, when you have weapons aimed at you and your brethren things tent to go a bit intense." Rede-Gar spoke.

With that single sentence everyone's jaw dropped to the ground. Pure disbelief stared back to Rede-Gar who towered over them even from quite a distance away.

"T-T-That..." Hilda stumbles. Muttering went through the rows of humans at the attendance.

"Silence!" Sir Geral shouted to his back.

The Saurus looked ready as ever but some Skinks got spooked but seeing the leader staying stoically still made them follow his example.

"Get your head clear. Everyone. It isn't like orcs can't talk as well." Geral reminded the Soldiers.

"I prefer if you didn't compare us to these miscreants. Human. I don't go around calling you rats." The next sentence strikes further unease into the humans.

Never has there been an example of a Lizardmen talking in a human tongue, a Saurus not to mention!

Hilda who knew her History of this world. Was the most shocked. A talking Saurus? This was unheard of.

After another bout of silence and ease slightly coming back to company. Sir Geral continued.

"Well. You wanted to talk. Here you are at the helm of armed soldiers. State, why."

"For my protection. Seeing your reaction I think it was justified. While we are soldiers. Could you ask your archers to lower their bows? None of my Warriors raised theirs weapons at you." The Old-Blood pointed.

Sir Geral gave a signal but the soldier hesitated.

"Lower it." A low hiss came from him. With that the archers indeed lowered their weapons.

"So I know why you are here with armed guards, but tell why approach us."

"You and the orcs are intruders in to our realm. I want to find out why. Why are you here? Armed to the teeth and claws with weapons. You don't look like typical hunters so tell me."

"..."

"No reason? Or are you here to slaughter my brethren for a crime that we didn't commit?"

"You existing is a CRIME!" A officer shouted.

"Officer Bardes you are not asked and should any talk without my permission! I will gut you myself! Am I clear?!"

Bardes immediately bowed.

"Yes Commander."

"We didn't come here to... slaughter your kind. Demon."

"Lizardmen."

"Excuse me?" Geral looked as if he heard right.

"We are Lizardmen. Not Demons."

"I understand Lizardmen." Sir Geral replied with respect clear to be heard.

"You. Do you, yourself have a name?" He asked quite gingerly. Careful to not break any taboo.

"We all do. Mine is Rede-Gar and yours Human?"

"Sir Geral...I want to repeat. We are not here to kill you or your warriors." He was relieved on the inside but showed pure calmness on the outside.

"Why did you burn this Camp?" Rede-Gar asked quite blunt and to the point with a low deep hiss.

"We..." Sir Geral is now torn between lying or telling to truth about the objective but seeing talking Lizardmen for the first time gave him hope. Hope that this wasn't a chase after a corpse of a young boy.

Maybe just maybe they have him as a captive? He thought.

"We are here to look for a boy or young teen is more precise ." He answered truthfully.

"I see. Who is this young boy?"

"The child of a friend of mine." While Geral is telling him the truth he is worried if telling the whole truth is a good idea.

"Ah. How does he look like? Was he a hunter?" Rede-Gar is guessing it is Colin who they are talking about but he need to confirm it to know if he has the upper hand in the negotiations.

"He is a Blond one. Green eyes. Slender Build. Have you seen him?" While trying to read the Saurus is a sheer impossible thing. Sir Geral is determined to look for a reaction in this opponent but to no avail. You need to know a how they normally react to something to determine difference in their behavior after all.

"We have. Multiple. Some hunted us. They were eaten but a young boy? No we haven't." Rede-Gar was probing for a reaction and seeing the shock in some of the officers at him mentioning having the boy eaten pretty much confirmed him.

"I...You..." Sir Geral can picture the devastation of his friend should he be the one to deliver the message. The pure sadness, the anger. He need to be sure. He won't let any leaf unturned to make sure if his best friends son was truly killed by Lizardmen.

"He is a noble. He should been in fine silvery clothing. Are you sure... you have eaten him?"

"...Ah. Him. He is alive."

This single sentence just unleashed a flame of hope so strong he wanted to run over and hug this huge beast before reminding himself that would be suicide.

"You have seen him, alive?"

"I have."

"Please tell us where."

"I cant." The flame that was sparkling so brightly was extinguished the same moment.

"Why?" He asked struggling to keep his calm façade up.

"Because telling you means that I lose safety."

"Safety?!What do you mean?" A slight crack forming on his persona.

"He means that we will kill him if he were to tell us am I right Rede-Gar?" Hilda walks up closer to the halfway point between the groups.

The whole time Hilda was studying the Saurus. From his mannerisms to his breathing. He seems clearly calm but one thing that stands out is the Teardrop marking on his right shoulder.

"You want promised safety for you and your warriors?" She speaks clear to all to hear. The young green haired mage on her inside is all but ill. She has an Idea and if it works maybe she will find something that will change her view on the Lizardmen.

"Hilda! What are you doing? Get back in line!" Sir Geral shouts.

"That is correct." The massive old-blood Rede-Gar nods.

"Can we maybe trade?" She asks.

"It is possible. A noble child for something equal in trade. A soul for a soul."

"Equal of trade?! How can we be sure to know that he is fine and alive?!" Sir Geral steps closer with his blade pointed at Rede-Gar.

The Saurus looks ready to tear out everybody's throat but Rede-Gar raises his claw to calm them down.

"Should you attack us now. We will repay in kind. The child will die if we do not turn back. This meeting is coming to an end. We are here to warn you. Do not go further into our realm. Should you do this without a peaceful purpose. You will die."

"I can't just let-"

"Sir Geral. Permission to split from the company!" Hilda raises her voice.

"Wha-?"

"Rede-Gar would you allow me to accompany you to see if the boy is indeed alive?" Her eyes wander from the flesh tearing jaws of Rede-Gar down to his scarred chest over to his marked shoulder down to his feet.

"I can agree to that. We will blindfold you. Is that acceptable?" While Rede-Gar sees the dangers of taking a mage with him the benefits of him establishing himself and the Lizardmen as trustworthy partners will do wonders for negotiations.

Sir Geral stunned beyond belief. Weakly nods. He slowly understand the intent of Hilda or so he thinks. Confirming Colin, making sure he is alive and healthy while buying time for us to discuss our further options.

"Permission... granted." With that Rede-Gar turned to the small mage compared to his size.

"Follow us,... Hilda. Is that right?"

"It is." The green haired mage walked closer to the Lizardmen. Her knees feels weak and heavy. Her hands started sweating. She was already regretting of even coming up with this plan. Her last hour on this life already has begun. That is what she thinks but the opportunity to study the first speaking Lizardmen. Is incredible! Her curiosity has taken her even if it can kill the cat!

Then the Old blood went to face to face and spoke so only she can hear him.

"I know you are scared of us but don't worry. Diplomats will not be harmed. I expect you to not attack anyone but I can't really take you with us without taking your weapons. You are a mage after all. Please give me your Grimoire."

Did that Lizard truly call her a Diplomat? He also knows that I am casting from my book as well. How? Is he...?

"I see. Here." With that her Grimoire I gone from her hands into the claws of Rede-Gar.

"Thank you."

With that the Rede-Gar's war group marched back to the village with Hilda as a Diplomat in tow.

AN:

Yo! I hope you liked this update. Tell me what you think!

To the Guest who asked if Gor'rok or Nakai will be in the story.

Lets say you wont see them in their original form. Kroq-Gar is from what you know the only one in the other world.

Also. I made a map. The map Rede-Gar took from the Hunters.

ibb dot co slash sQQFGXj Put the . in dot and the / in slash then you will see the map.

See you next time!


	9. Between Warm and Cold

"_Well,"_ Hilda thought to herself. _ "I never imagined I would be put in the inside of an oversized breadbasket while blindfolded and carried by a Demon."_

"If told this to my old self weeks ago I think I would declare myself insane." She laughed to herself.

Still it's worth it in her eyes. Experiencing these Demon- sorry Lizardman from such an angle.

The low croaking hisses and tongue breaking sounds are something to be noteworthy. In the old historical documents this was never stated. They were only described as mindless beasts who killed and purged everything along their path.

History is written by the winners she thought. If only the breadbasket wasn't so uncomfortable. She groaned failing to find a better position to lay into.

"What is the matter... Hilda." The clear deep growl of Rede-Gar addressed her.

Unprepared to be given a question she took a moment to reply as she rubs her shoulder to release the discomfort.

"It's... just very uncomfortable to sit in this box." She told the large lizardman with a mark on the right shoulder.

"... We are nearly there. While in the village you can walk freely but not without at least two guards following you. I hope you understand." Rede-Gar the Lizardman leader spoke.

"I understand." She replied.

The ride towards their village was stressful to her. Being blindfolded and forced in a box with her head barely sticking out while on the back of a Saurus Warrior who took every opportunity to shake and rattle the improvised rucksack much to the young mages dismay.

Finally arriving the blindfold taken off and the hand shackles loosed completely she felt like she fought for three days straight. The ride gave her bruises of endless numbers that she was sure of.  
She heard that Rede-Gar and the split tailed Saurus command the other lizards who moved in unison transporting bags full of armor and weapons with sacks of meat in tow. Both Orcish in nature.  
The arms **and **the weapons. She shutters to think that she could end up as a meal today but these Lizardman seems somewhat civilized at least. They talked to us first and that's got to account to some sort of trust?

"Welcome... to our home." Rede-Gar greeted bowing politely.

Which shocked her. The Old Blood bows? To her as a sort of invitation?! This need to be noted down.

"Thank you. May we see Colin de Vienne now?" She bowed back as to not offend the Old Blood.

"We shall." It answered. With the undertone of a slight chuckle? Hilda couldn't really tell. This day becomes confusing by the second.

While walking through the village she made note of the grain towers the patched-up walls and the stone main building in the middle of the village...

The only major village to have such a building... as they walk past you can see the Stone engravings with the word Waldsdorf clear for all to see.

"_So, we are in Waldsdorf." _Hilda thought.

Rede-Gar while walking noticed Hilda staring at the Stone building and looked the sign showing the word.

**Waldsdorf**.

_"Argh! __**ARE YOU KIDDING ME**__?! ALL THIS FOR... No Freddy calm down no need for that... bloody hell." _Frederick roared inside of his mind.

"_Well... Human. You sure are making your kind proud." _8000-year-old Lizard spoke with pure amusement dripping of his voice.

"_Not now. Kroggy"_

"_Do not think me so little to be angry at such a nickname. Human."_

"_Well seeing Lizardman children act cute makes you furious."_

"_You know why I hate these abominations. If only we could recreate spawning pools. Or find one to cleanse. It would make our army more effective."_

"_Yes, it would now hush."_

"Well. Mage. We will talk about what you have seen and how long your stay will be later." Rede-Gar spoke up looking straight into her eyes. With anger? She couldn't figure out why but Rede-Gar was angry. 

She nodded as a response. What she saw next is something that shocked her again. As they walked by a more reinforced wooden building, she saw little Saurus and Skinks running and hunting a butterfly.

With an adult skink running behind them trying to rein them in.

"I curse everything on this planet." Rede-Gar spoke but to none in particular.

Yudoa the Skink priest or just Skink priest to Hilda ran to the little group of young ones. Seeing the priest approach, they all ran back to the kindergarten. With the adult Skink chasing them.

"So, your Village has children?" Hilda asked.

"Of course, we do. Do you think we spawn in some kind of pools to wreak havoc? If that were the case you warmbloods wouldn't have won the last war." Rede-Gar answered.

"They are cute. They remind me a bit of baby crocodiles." Hilda blurted out. Realizing that she may be made a faux pas.

"I mean this in a positive way! Not in any way negative!"

"I know. Don't worry. The priest you saw go there is called Yudoa and the other who chased the children is his apprentice Chuxi." The Old-Blood said.

"Well we arrived." He nodded to the building in front of them guarded by a skink and a Saurus. Noticing Rede-Gar they exchanged a few hisses and deep growls with the leader before they pulled the large wooden barricade to the side.

"_This will be the moment of truth."_ She thought to herself. _"Hopefully these Lizards kept Colin safe and sound all these weeks." _

Rede-Gar meanwhile talked to his guards who wait now outside.

"_Well let's go in and confirm it yourself."_ As she went inside, she noted that this was a living room before.

This room also doubled as a kitchen too. She noticed the large number of vertical lines rowed next to each other. Counting the days? No signs of Colin yet.

"He is further inside." As they turned the corner there was a blonde teenager sitting in the corner.

The boy noticed that he had visitors and when he saw Hilda, he rubbed his eyes once. Twice. Thrice. It looked as if he wanted to rub his eyes out.

"Hello Colin, I am Hilda, a Mage of Branvic Castle. What's your name?" Hearing her voice seemed to shake him out of his disbelief.

"I... I am Colin. Colin de Vienne. Did they capture you too?" When she saw Colin face, she knew it was the young lord. Even if he lost a quite a bit weight and his fine hair was ruined.

"No, I am here to check on you. Your father has been worried sick that something may have happened." She said gently.

"Did they mistreat you?" She asked noticing that one arm and leg is bound to the wall by a chain.

"They hit me...they didn't give me food only bread and water." He sobbed.

Hilda turned to Rede-Gar who was already looking at her.

"Was there any reason as to-" She started before she was cut off.

"He attacked one of my skinks who gave him his daily bread and water with a knife we forgot to take away from the house. One of the Saurus heard the struggle inside and hit the youngling with a mace. He tried to escape before but never attacked us when he got caught."

"With a mace? The child of a noble too." Hilda was disgusted by the brutality but could understand it slightly. Attacking a guard will get you only a world of pain be it human or Lizardman.

"We didn't know if he truly was a noble's child. We healed his broken bones." Rede-Gar lied in the first bit.

"So that makes it okay? Why did you only give him bread and water only? And where did you get the bread?"

"We make it ourselves. I wanted to weaken him as to make any escapes impossible. That's all."

"I... I understand. Is it possible you can release him now?"

A growl was more than enough for an answer.

"Well Colin. I was here to check on you. Don't worry we will get you out." She tried to reassure the young teenager. Then she turned to the Old Blood in the room. "I want him to be fed more than bread and water. You must have meat?"

"Hmm. We have fresh orc. He can eat that." Rede-Gar said.

"No! We don't eat humanoids! A rabbit or something is fine but nothing like that." She exclaimed.  
The Saurus hearing her voice rise from the inside rushed inside with weapons drawn but Rede-Gar told them off.

"I understand. Now let's go outside you confirmed he is the son of a noble and don't shout. You make my warriors nervous, Mage." Driving the point that she is still seeing as a threat to the warriors in the village.

"I... sorry." She thought that the Old Blood be meaner in his response. He didn't jump at her raising her voice too. Curious.

As they walked back to the villager center. Hilda began question herself.

How does a Lizardman know the importance of a noble? How can he discern human emotion so clearly? Okay seeing somebodies face distort to horror is easy but still. Is he...? This need further testing.

"Rede-Gar?"

"Yes, Mage?" He looked to her while walking.

"Why did you approach humans now and not before?" Hilda asked and depending on the answer he gives.

"We thought it is a good time to intercept you now so we can try to establish a dialog."

"Why now?" She asked probing him.

"Better late, than never dear Mage."

"Ah that is a proverb isn't it?" Hilda asked with an innocent smile?

"Ah maybe. It is." Rede-Gar said not noticing he is walking into a trap.

"Well do you know from where the proverb is from? It sounds like one from Branvic." She asked but was grinning on the inside. There is something about this Old Blood.

"Ah yes. It could be from Branvic." Rede-Gar without thinking answered but the moment he did. He realized that he doesn't know from where it really is from.

"Interesting... From where are you Rede-Gar?"

"Born in the mountains. From where I don't know. Miss Mage where are you from?"

"Branvic," She stared into the eyes of Rede-Gar. "The slum district of Tokyo."

"...I see." Rede-Gar answered in a low growl but shocked on the inside. He thanked his new body for being so unreadable for humans right now but Tokyo?! That sounds so Japanese! I need to be sure. If I ask her if she is from my Earth, she will look at my like I lost my mind or something...

Why is she smirking? Why is she smiling at me? A big bad evil lizardman!

"Rede-Gar I want you to entertain me a bit. It is normal to entertain a diplomat. So, here is a game finish the sentence and if you guess the words at the end you win."

"I see. Well let's start." How do I get her to confirm that she is from Toyko? Or is it a normal to have so distinctive Japanese names for districts? But let's play here game maybe I can find out from where she really is from. It can also be a big coincidence.

"Harm set, -" Hilda says nearly gleeful

"Harm get." Rede-Gar replies.

"Better safe-"

"Than sorry."

"to beat-"

"around the bush" Rede-Gar finishes.

"Follow me." He orders her.

They promptly walk to the study of the Old Blood.

The wooden furniture still spartan as it gets with stone tablets laying in empty bookshelves.

Rede-Gar turned to her after she closed the door. Her eyes recognizing the writing on the stone tablets.

"You are not from this earth are you?" Hilda decide not to wait any longer seen enough to confirm it.

Rede-Gar was still for a moment.

"Yes. As I see it you are not as well. Tokyo. Japan. As if you couldn't drop anymore hints." Rede-Gar growl vibrates through the room.

"So you know from where I am." She states. "From where are you."

"The same. Japan. Tokyo."

"So you know what happened the day of Judgement by Nero?" Hilda solemnly asks.

"You call it like this? Sounds pretty... over the top." He suppressed a chuckle with would sound pretty creepy if he were to do it.

She blushed slightly she always thought it sounded childish but was unsure how she should name it then another question came.

"How did you get the idea? That I wasn't from here."

"I can show you." She exposed her right shoulder. She mumbled some words, see there the same tear drop mark appeared. As if an Illusion has keep it a secret all the time.

"You have the same mark as I." Rede-Gar exclaimed quite surprised.

"As we."

"We? But hold on. You just casted magic without your book." He asked curious at how she could do it.

"Simple. I can cast simple magic without the help of my Grimoire, not just book." She explained.

"And to answer the **We **question. Many years before we were here, the heroes who defeated the Warmaster had the same mark as we do now. There are portraits of them in the capital. They are said to do something grand. It's a sign of troubling times if children are born with the mark. My teacher told me to hide it when he found me lingering in the slums as a little child."

"Wait child?" Shocked asked Rede-Gar not expecting another revelation.

"Yes. Wait you weren't reborn here?"

"No I took over. This body isn't originally mine."

"Did you talk to the Greyish God before coming here?"

"I did. I also didn't come here alone. There is this cranky old lizard in my head whose leader struck a deal with the gray god and is now in this body with me."

"That... is. Okay..." Hilda was a bit surprised to learn that this person from earth has somebody else inside him.

"So Hilda... What is your original name? Mine's Frederick."

"Frederick? Well, mine is Hinoka. You know I had a friend-"

"Wait! Hinoka... I am sorry but did you have the nickname of The Walking Encyclopedia?"

Recognition flashed in her eyes!

"You are... Frederick the from the Kendo Club!" She exclaimed. Remembering the young man.

Both looked at each other with wide eyes recognizing not only somebody from earth but somebody from their old class.  
Frederick being overwhelmed by his emotions rushed to hug Hinoka with a bear hug. For the first time feeling genuine relief in this world-

"Ouch. You are squeezing me to... much." Hilda squeaked.

"Oh sorry. I never hugged somebody over here." Rede-Gar confessed. "Its... I have nobody to talk. Like you know. The human stuff. Everybody expects me to lead them and do it right." He paused for a moment. "I killed so many with my own hands... or claws."

Hinoka is a bit taken back by Frederick changed demeanor. The happy go lucky attitude she remembered him for all these years ago. Not really there anymore.

"How long is it since... you know you came here to this world?" She gently asked.

"Over a year but I killed more than enough humans and Lizardman to mark me a serial killer." He remembers his first kill. The young boy in the hunters group or the old veteran if he would could Kroq-Gar's kill and his first Lizardman kill, a challenger who thought it was smart to contest him because Rede-Gar ordered him to bake bread. Even if he died fighting me he bled out before Yudoa could help him. *sigh*

"You could always come with me?" She guessed.

"Me? What about the others! They would be without a leader! They would first rip each other apart to find out who will lead! Hinoka." He raised his voice before calming down.

Hinoka looked guilty at Frederick. "I... sorry that was a stupid idea. I didn't think about that."

Frederick scoffed before trying to make his voice as gently as possible. "No, I know you only meant it to help me... Hinoka... What will Hilda say to his commander, about Colin?"

"Oh you mean Geral? Well I will tell him that it is indeed Colin and persuade him to make a deal with your tribe." She explained.

"I see. Do you think he will even consider that? What if he attacks with the hope of freeing Colin that way?"

"It would be risky- Hold on I am getting a message."

"Message?"

"It's a magic mail but with words and from a mage to anyone he or she chooses." She looked around slightly confused, confusion turned to a questioning look before it turned to a grimace.

"Frederick. Where. Is. My. Grimoire." She stressed.

"Why?... With Yudoa but please tell why."

"My master just gave me an assignment."

Xxx

**Hours before.**

A young mage rushed through the side corridors stopping abruptly in front of a massive wooden double door.

The mage dusted himself off and made sure he was presentable before walking inside the great hall of Branvic Castle.

He saw a middle aged man in fine clothing sitting at the round table. That was placed here by default for special occasion would it be removed.

The guard who stand at the ready are eying the young mage for any sign of hostility. As the man they protect is none other than Marc de Vienne Lord of Branvic and Duke of the Brandlands. Who was joined by other high ranking nobles and knights.

"What is it." Marc spat making it quite clear that he dislikes his meeting disrupted.

The mage bowed deeply before going on his knee. "My lord. Sir Geral has news- **The Vineyard has been found by an old uncle. **Milord."

"I see. You may go." Marc replied cold.

After the young mage vacated the hall in a hurry.

One of the young knights at the table spoke up.

"So. What was it?" Clearly breaking etiquette while doing so.

"Hold your tongue." A Baron hissed in a tone that was trying to warn the knight.

The knights eyes lit up realizing his mistake and nodded. He will apologize later after the meeting.

"Well. It seems my boy Colin has been found... and is held captive by demons." Marc said in a flat tone clearly think about his next step.

"So..." Spoke one of the older Barons. "What are they waiting for? For him to get eaten did they start freeing him yet?"

"No. There seems to be a problem. Sir Geral request my help for the situation. Seeing as it is my son he is trying to free... We will postpone the meeting for later. You are all dismissed." The Duke spoke his word final.

After the nobility left the hall Marc made his way to the wizards tower. The tower of the old Master Haltur.

He went into the study of Haulter without warning as the Wizard already knows he is there to visit him. The magical wards around and inside the tower already informed the wizard.

"My. My Little Marc came to visit me." Haltur rubbed his hands as if he was up to something which to be honest he most likely is putting on a show which he also likes to do from time to time.

"No time for any antics. Haltur. I need you to connect to Geral who send me a message." Marc demanded obviously having no time for games.

Xxx

**Present**

"They are going to attack." Hilda stated as a matter of fact.

"What? How?" Rede-Gar said surprised at what Hilda told him.

Both are walking towards the Kindergarten where Yudoa is watching the younglings.

As they saw the skink look towards them he was asking himself why his leader was without the guards to protect him from the young mage.

"Yudoa." Rede-Gar not arriving fully called the Priest.

"Yes, Master?"

"Where is the book from this warmblood?" Rede-Gar asked.

"Right here." He gave it to Rede-Gar who held his claw open who then proceeded to hand it over to Hilda. Yudoa noticed the change in demeanor already had his staff at the ready to whack Hilda over the head when Rede-Gar stopped him-

"Yudoa. There is no need. She is no danger to us." Yudoa didn't trust his word and tried to feel for any foreign magic inside Rede-Gar...

Void. Nothing.

"Master. We shouldn't." Yudoa said not trusting his feelings.

"Don't Worry." Hilda spoke with Grimoire in hand.

Startling the skink nearly to an early grave.

"You can talk! Our tongue!" He exclaimed looking at Rede-Gar for answers-

"Later, Yudoa." Rede-Gar turned to the young woman. "First Hilda. Can you stop them? Tell them to call the attack off?"

"I will try give me a moment." She formed a circle in the air and slowly exhaled with a circle made of energy reforming in a green hue.

"It will take a short while for them to reply." She answered.

"Wait. How-"Yudoa asked.

"You speak it in your mind and receive it in your mind." She cut him off.

"I see." The skink replied.

They waited for a minute until Hilda received a reply.

"What?! Rede-Gar! My teacher is coming here! He wants to talk to you himself-" Before she could speak any further a loud ripple is heard with an old person spiraling into existence before dusting himself off and started coughing.

The various Saurus and Skinks who were near enough to hear the loud sound ran towards it already having drawn weapons.

Seeing the his people run with the intend to kill the newcomer Rede-Gar stepped forward and roared.

"STAND DOWN! Tell the Circle member to gather in half an hour!" with slow hesitant nods and growls they turned doing what their Leader said.

"You..." He pointed at the old mage with his claw.

"Oh it seems I made the quite uproar coming here. Upsy Daisy." Haltur the mage in black robes exclaimed as if it was just a small mistake.

"Did he just really say that." Rede-Gar didn't compute if he just heard it right.

"He is like this all the time. My teacher Haldur, this is Rede-Gar leader of the Lizardmen." She introduced the two males to each other.

"The pleasure is mine. Sir Rede-Gar." He gave his hand as to shake his. Rede-Gar on autopilot shook it.

"Well," He rattled himself out before continuing "welcome to my Village. Next time don't come here with such a loud noise."

"I couldn't wait. Hearing Hilda tell me that a marked appeared and a Lizardman at that! You don't see that usually." He happily spoke.

"You don't fear us?"

"I have nothing to fear from your kind right now. So why? Or should I be afraid?"

"No, no. It's... normal people call us demons or monsters but let's put that aside. Why are you here?"

"Well, to help you and mediate between Leaders. Marc agreed to it already."

"Who is-"

"Colins Father" Hilda supplied.

"Oh and how should we speak to each other? I am not exactly a mage."

"Face to face at Branvic Castle."

"...What."

"Are you ready? Teleportation's is quite quirky at how it reacts to a body."

"Hold on." He turned to Hilda. "Do you trust him?"

"I do Rede-Gar but" She turned to her Teacher "How can they guarantee that they won't kill him the moment he goes there."

"They won't because I am there my dear. Marc said he will order the attack should you refuse to come."

"Argh. I accept. Yudoa." He turned to his priest.

"Kill Colin should I not return in 2 hours also prepare the plan." He told Yudoa in the Lizardman tongue.

"I understand." Yudoa knew what he meant with plan. He is to fall back with most of the village while the others began harassing the invader bit by bit until they reach the village. Should that happen everyone will be gone by then to the Cornsay Mountains. Rede-Gar made sure to stash rations in an old mining shaft we rebuilt.

"Great! Breathe and exha-" Haltur's words cut off.

The feeling of being teleported is similar to being sucked into the toilet forced through a blender and spat out on the other side while the skin is getting brutalized by millions of ants with needles for legs walk over you.

When I arrived on the other side I found myself in a great hall with guards standing at the ready at the walls and near the double sided doors.

I could kill most of the if I surprised them by attacking but that would leave me in unknown lands in the middle of a castle with thousands of servants and guards to deal with.

As I turn I see a middle aged man sitting on a massive round table. The late noon light illuminating his thinning hair and projecting his fine frame on the ground.

"So, Haltur. This is the demons leader? Good. Now kill him." The man ordered nonchalant. The Guards already moved to attack the Old-Blood Saurus.

"I KNEW." I roared already drawing my mace I rush to attack this bastard of a man! If I die here at least I can kill this backstabbing wretch!

Before Rede-Gar was halfway towards Marc the guards intercepted him the men equipped with halberds and Plate armor were well armed to fight a strong man but not a full strength Saurus Old Blood.

They tried stabbing the first missed the large target as a punishment the halberd was pulled from his arms roughly he let go so he didn't go flying but couldn't recover fast enough to dodge the massive mace that should a human try to wield would qualify at least as a two hand weapon.

The mace crashed square on his chest the plate armor while good in quality still caved in like paper and threw the poor guardsman flying.

The other guard seeing this stabbed at Rede-Gar but as if defining the laws of physics the massive lizardman warped himself away from the stab and swung using the momentum of the first swing spinning in place hitting the guardsman on the side of the head.

The audible crack was heard and the power of the attack dropped the body of the man to the ground in an instant the stone floor cracking around the point of impact.

Seeing the massive Lizard beat his man in an instant and the others to far to intercept in time Marc de Vienne tried to run but was held in place.

Looking around everyone in the hall stood still as if time froze except the people could move their heads.

"Everyone. Stop the fight now!" Haltur for the first time raised his voice looking very displeased.

"You dare betray me, Haltur! I will-" Marc accusingly stared at Haltur.

"Silence! You invited a guest to your halls and attacked him cowardly Marc! What would your mother think!" Haltur shot back.

"This beast?! A guest?! Have you lost it?!" Marc shouted with disbelief.

"You wanted to discuss terms with the lizardmen! Not attack him! For your foolish and reckless attack who men lost their lives! He is not a beast! He can talk with us! Normally! Like you should have Marc!" Haltur shouted back.

"Those monsters killed our ancestors! We should kill them like they did leaving them alive is an insult to all that died!"

"YOU BLAME US!" Rede-Gar spoke up. "We! We had nothing to do with that war warmblood! We lived peacefully in the forest but your hunters attacked and killed our kind! The only thing we ever want it peace! No war! Just Peace." His voice rumbled through the air.

"Peace? Haha! What a joke! You kidnap my son and then dare say you want peace! You-" Marc was shut down by Rede-Gar.

"You son is alive and safe! We didn't kidnap him! The kidnappers came to close to our village and we killed them! My skinks brought him to me because he was very young and wore slivery clothing. He was unusual! You son even promised we would have a favor by a noble. And as you are his father you must be the noble!" Rede-Gar roared the last bit at Marc. Who also raised his voice.

"How do I know he is alive! Sir Geral only said he has a strong lead!-"

"I do milord." Hilda spoke.

"You saw him?" Marc voice immediately softened. "Is he?"

"He is alive and well. He lost some weight but he is fine and alive for now." Hilda stressed the last part.

"No arms missing, him in a cooking pot or being gutted?" Marc asked doubtingly.

"Of course not!" Rede-Gar replied quite angered. "What do you take us for! Hags in the forest cooking children?!"

"... you." He pointed at Rede-Gar. "You are... no... it... how..." Marc recognition shone in his eyes.

"What is your problem now?" Rede-Gar turned to Hilda and Haltur looking for an answer.

"You are marked by the Gods!" Looking closer he points at the mark on his right shoulder.

"What? Sure. I am but don't try to change the subject." Rede-Gar crossed his arms looking quite literally down on Marc. "We need to talk terms."

Marc was still in shock. He didn't knew his history completely but he knew seeing a being marked by the gods is a bad sign. The last time the chosen were from the Human, Elven and dwarven side. That time was the War also called the Great Return. Those who are marked are said to have incredible power! He seems somewhat reasonable. Maybe I should trust Haltur. He saved my life often enough.

I think I would have died by the hand of this demon if Haltur didn't stop him. He looked over the muscle mass that is the Old Blood and the scarred body.

Definitely dead.

"We shall." Marc prepared his voice. "Please clean up this mess men. Also tell the servants to serve meat. For 4 people- make one extra-large." Marc took control of the Hall.

Rede-Gar sat on the ground on the right side of the table with Hilda sitting next to him. Haltur sat next to Marc.

After a back and forth between Marc and Rede-Gar and the servants screaming in terror when they saw Rede-Gar. A deal seems to be forming.

"No I won't allow any human soldiers in the village." Rede-Gar told Marc.

"You are living on the land of one of my vassals Rede-Gar." Marc shot.

"You left the villages to decay. We worked hard and fair to rebuild it!" Rede-Gar countered.

"And don't think about taxing us! My Saurus would kill me if I came back telling them we are under warmblood rule!" Rede-Gar meant this in all honesty as every Saurus and Skink would most likely try challenge his rule.

"You can't demand everything without something in return! It's hard enough that you demand the we give over the few dem- Lizardmen in our possession to you. These had been caught with a lot of work and men's lives."

"You keeping them as pets makes it even worse! I didn't knew about that until you asked me about that. If we could gather all, Nobles who have one of my kind that should be around 50 of them! I want them. My brethren."

"Offer something first! This is a deal. Not a bazaar from the desert realms of the north Rede-Gar."

Rede-Gar thought for a moment.

"How about this. We help keeping the forests clean of Orcs and other beasts. Making sure that your villages at the borders don't get raided as much. And we have the rights to say who comes in and out. Also I want you to buy up all the Lizardmen you can find. For that we can trade metals."

"There are mines but they were sealed to not give Ghouls or monster a save place. You unsealed them?" Marc inquired interested what they are doing with them.

"We did and we are mining the metals. We also have weapons we can build. The forge in Waldsdorf is pretty good for that. We would sell the weapons we build. Seeing your kind is too weak to even hold a one hand mace. We need schematics for that. Also I know that the metal in the mountains is better than what you have. So don't try lying to me."

"This is everything I am willing to give. We are nor ever will be under your rule. We are independent. I want to unite the Lizardmen to live in prosperity. To not go hungry or suffer death by greedy hunters. Also another demand. I saw a Hunters tower on the map. That will be ours. As hunting our kind will be prohibited."

"... You mentioned sell. For what?" Marc asked.

"Good. You noticed. I want to be a trade partner as well. For that we need money."

"Trade Partner? That's quite ambitious Rede-Gar I don't even know if my Baron would agree to half of that. But to summarize. I need to bring this to my Barons. I want you to be there as well they would declare me mad if I tell them that I made a deal with the Lizardmen." Marc stroke his chin.

"The Lizardmen and De Vienne will enter a non-aggression pact with the right to trade between the realms. De Vienne will send all Lizardmen it will find and can acquire towards the Village of Waldsdorf. In return the Lizardmen will keep the reddish woods near the 5000 soul strong Town of Hins safe. As part of this pact no Humans are allowed to enter the Woods as it is Lizardmen Territory." Marc turned to the writer standing in the corner who joined with the servants.

"That sounds fair?" He asked Rede-Gar.

"It does. Haltur."

"Yes Rede-Gar?" The old wizard asked.

"Will you be one of my witnesses next to Hilda."

"Of course." Both Hilda and Haltur replied.

"Thank you."

"Please bring me back before they execute the plan."

"Oh, Well follow me then. Apprentice you too I can see you want to join us." Haltur laughed.

Hilda sheepishly got up and followed them outside the room.

Xxx

**Back in Waldsdorf**

Haltur left the village after delivering them. Leaving Hilda and Rede-Gar in their study. Rede-Gar postponed the circle call by an hour to gather his wits and thoughts.

"This was eventful." Hilda exhaled.

"I agree. I expected betrayal from Haltur and Marc. I was unsure if you betrayed me too to be honest." Rede-Gar gingerly stated.

"After a year of being attacked on sight and humans just being cruel. No wonder." Hilda responded by rubbing his shoulder.

"I was amazed how you handled the guards. Quite Brutal in the execution and the twist you did? Was that magic?" Hilda's curious side took over.

"The first one was just me being me. The twist was Kroq-Gar the one in my head but normally he would scold me for failing to do it myself." He also didn't talk for a while which was left unsaid.

"Still impressive... I am sorry for the guards. They died thinking they were doing the right thing. I hope they can rest in peace." Hilda looked downtrodden. "I remember that both had a family. I hope that they won't go hungry in the next year."

"They don't care for their families?" Rede-Gar asked feeling the guilt creeping up on him.

"No, they get a big payment as a thanks for the services enough to hold them over but should the next harvest fail badly or a war break out which is very likely. Well that money will burn like kindle wood away. Also should that happen prepare for lots of children being send into the nearby forest."

"This would be bad. So much free Food for us then." Rede-Gar flatly said.

Hilda stared at him in shock. Stammering a response.

"Sorry-" Seeing Hilda shock Rede-Gar quickly added. "That was in bad a taste."

"Oh that was a joke. I thought you were serious for a moment. You are hard to read after all." She replied quite relieved.

"I understand. You will be staying here for a while as I got it?"

"Pretty much Frederick. They want me to oversee if you keep your side of the deal. Also my teacher will pick you up tomorrow. So you can both put the deal to the lesser nobles."

"Tell me, Hilda. How is the nobility here?"

"Well, the Nation you are dealing with is the Celsay Kingdom. It's a massive empire actually all answer to the King who is the other side of the sea. They have a annual meeting to discuss the situation. Like who to wage war against new laws and all that. Only Dukes the likes of Marc are invited who act as a quasi governor of their regions-" Hilda knows that by Rede-Gar stillness that he is waiting for her to come to the point.  
"The nobles are extremely self-serving and the peasants get sacrificed first before they even think about giving up their wealth."

"I see. You said you have a teacher the one who teleported us. Are all mages taught like this? You know one teacher one student style?" Rede-Gar quite curiously asked.

"No all children with potential are first thought at Cornelius Academy in the capital but that doesn't mean you can't learn before being send there." She smiles.

"I was found by my teacher who noticed my mark and told me I had powers, I was at first very suspicious! An old guy approaching a young girl in the slums. That never ends well or so I thought I declined him at first kicked him in the balls too. Drive the point across. You know?" She winces a bit remembering the painful cries of her teacher.

"Well he taught me how to summon fire out of my hands. To defend myself and cook myself some warm meals again. He later invited me into his wizard tower after teaching me to escape with ease! Come try to get a hold of my arm I show you." Hilda stretched her arm towards Rede-Gar who clawed to strong enough for her to be locked in place but without hurting her.

"**Grease**." Hilda mouthed with a light hue of green illuminating her arm. The grip on her arm failing Rede-Gar and she slipped right out of his grip.

"See?" She happy exclaimed.

"That is useful and all but couldn't he just do the spell to hold you in place like he did in the hall?" Rede-Gar retorted his skeptic side showing.

"Yeah but why would he go through all the basic of magic just to kidnap me or teach me spell at all? You can trust Haltur. He is a good friend and never did anyone harm who didn't deserve it! Did you know he was a former teacher at Cornelius Academy too. Ah my school time was so much fun too!"

"Great. You got the easy life I understand. I am need to attend to the circle they are waiting for me most likely. You are free to wander but don't disrupt anything." With that Rede-Gar walked away with loud thumping steps.

"Wait! I didn't meant it to boast!" Hilda went after him only for two Saurus to block her path.

Rede-Gar spoke "Let her go after a short while brothers." Both Saurus hissed in acknowledgement.

Xxx

"Rede-Gar! You made a deal with the warmbloods! Did you forget what they did to us!" Xillic pure fury right now exhaling in pure anger. Her arms are already pumping with hot blood.

"Yes. I did so we may survive. The warmbloods are at our doorsteps. So to ensure I made the deal to make them give all surviving brethren and in exchange we keep the forest clean of orcs."

"This means more food?" Gab-gru the Kroxigor asked.

"Yes, more food Gab-gru." Yudoa answered.

"Then Gab-gru agrees." The massive lizard spoke with a toothy grin.

"I won't accept this! We won't be able to get revenge for our fallen brothers and sisters!" Xillic rose from her seat.

Rede-Gar is already anticipating for what comes next.

"I, Xillic challenge you for the right to lead!" She rose up her spear at the ready her tail slamming the ground.

"Xillic, sit down." Rede-Gar spoke who is still seated on the ground.

On the sidelines all the village now has gathered Hilda as well. She was interested at how the village is being ruled and seeing this makes her realize that her situation compared to Rede-Gar's is a lot worse then she first thought it to be.

Rede-Gar seeing that Xillic didn't take her seat again stood up drawing his mace. All the other Leaders making space for the impending dual.

Both Saurus started circling each other on the village square Xillic was dragging her spear made from quality steel sparkle flying off it.

"You have grown weak. Rede-Gar." Xillic growled. "It is time a real Saurus leads us again. Not one who coddles a warmblood. Invites them to our home and goes off to trade with them."

Rede-Gar spins his mace as to warm up his limbs responds. "One who can't compromise is doomed to fail us all, Xillic. Last time you forced me to strike instead of uniting our forces. Can you truly lead us? Or will you be left nearly alone, hungry and half dead? WHO fed you after being defeated! Who hunted to bring you up to strength! I had the right and the power to end you!" Rede-Gar smashed his tail on the ground.

"I gave you the position to train our warriors and now. You dare rise up against me?!" Rede-Gar added with a roar.

"The right to lead will be decided now." Yudoa spoke up. "May the rightful leader win."

That was the cue for both to charge each other. Both fully clad in their battle armor. One armed with Spear, one armed with Mace. The fight to rule began once more.

Xillic had the reach advantage and began putting pressure on Rede-Gar. Who backpaddled trying to not get stabbed. This continued for a short moment when Rede-Gar smacked the spear aside and strikes at Xillic who dodges in time to not get fully hit instead in just grazes her. She responded with a powerful slap with her tail which has iron tips.

Rede-Gar not anticipating the counter got hit with the full brunt of the attack and was dazed but shook himself out just in time to see the spear coming at him. He couldn't dodge the attack but the spear hit his armor plates and didn't penetrate luckily. Xillic tried to go in for another jab when Rede-Gar grappled her weapon and tried to take the weapon. Xillic clawed at him with her free side but Rede-Gar was in full swing with his mace and smashed the side of her head with enough force to cave in a man's skull.

She started bleed on her head but Rede-Gar started bleeding as well, the claw attack wasn't without effect. Both went in for another round. This time Rede-Gar tried a overhead swing telegraphing it heavily to Xillic who dodged and went in for the impalement. This was in fact a trap for Xillic. Rede-Gar grabbed her spear close before hitting him. It still penetrated his scales but it wasn't the full impalement that Xillic predicted. With a full grip on the weapon he broke the spear with his mace splintering wood all over the battle ring.

Xillic who used the opportunity of her spear being destroyed saw the claw holding the mace and jawed the arm forcing Rede-Gar to drop it. She wrestled him to the ground trying to bite his arm off.

The Old Blood didn't let this go unpunished and kicked profusely against her chest and crotch forcing Xillic after the second kick to loosen her bite. Using the chance Rede-Gar gripped her throat trying to claw it out. But with no real footing and the small blood puddles around he slipped falling knocking the breath out of his lungs, now from being an top of her he is now the on the bottom.

Xillic shaking the pain off went for the killing move herself her claws now on Rede-Gar throat. Rede-Gar still dazed struggles to bring up the strength to contest her but with no air in his lungs he fails to contest her grip. Xillic now having the upper hand tried to claw his throat out but her grip slipped. She tried regaining the control of her stranglehold back but her claws slipped again. It is as if the throat around Rede-Gar is fully oiled she tried punching but it was too late Rede-Gar kicked her of him.

He coughed but didn't stop. He ran up to his mace he dropped and hearing the full sprint of Xillic behind him he didn't look and spun around in full swing and might of his mace. Hearing a solid crack he realized. That Xillic is now on the ground. Knocked out.

He has won the fight but what to do know. The lizardmen around are still waiting for him to do something.

Yudoa also stand there expecting something from him.

"_Kroq-Gar. Help me. I don't know what to do. What are they expecting?!"_

No answer.

"_Not funny. Where are you Kroggy?!"_

Still no answer.

"_Where?-"_

A cough ripped him out of his thoughts. He looked down to see Xillic is still breathing and back to awareness. Rede-Gar is confused as what he should do. This has never happened to me before. Somebody challenging him two times.

"I... will... not... yield..." Xillic spoke with heavy breaths crawling towards Rede-Gar.

"Why. Don't you see that we are better of having the warmbloods not attack us now." Rede-Gar responded in a solemn tone. His subconscious already preparing him for what he may need to do.

"I... won't..." Xillic answered the rest inaudible rambling. She tries to claw at his feet but with no strength in them she doesn't archive anything.

"What do you want?" He asked all the Lizardmen standing around.

"Master. You need to kill her." Yudoa answered flatly. "Any who defy the Master twice...and so openly. It's tradition." He finished.

Rede-Gar froze for a moment. Tradition. Always this tradition.

"No. She will witness the Lizardmen will be strong again. Sometimes we must compromise for that to happen. Xillic will be proven wrong not by me killing her. No, she will witness it. When the first Lizardmen arrive. She will have witnessed the first step succeeding. When she sees the Orcs have been purged from our realm she will see that I was right. Should the human attack and betray us... Then she will witness me destroying their villages first. Then their Cities. From where we drag the fat warmbloods out of their castles to feast of them." Rede-Gar growled.

"Yudoa make sure she is cared for." Then he turned to Xillic once again. "You will accept my decisions. You will listen to the rightful leader. I have beaten you twice Xillic. Do oppose me another time and I will kill you."

With that Rede-Gar went back to his study. With Chuxi Yudoa's student healing him after he was done Hilda went to join Rede-Gar.

"Is it always the brutal?" She asked.

"No." He looked at her waiting for something. She stared back saying nothing.

"I know what you did, Hilda." Her getting called out made her shuffle away so to no look him in the face.

"For that. I am thankful. Thank you for saving me."

"Ah. I didn't do anything. You-"

"Stop lying. We both know you saved me because you know me." He gave her a slight grin.

"But let's talk another time. I am tired I fought the entire day. Haha... See you tomorrow." Rede-Gar laughed.

AN: Sorry for the long wait I was building this chapter and with everything I added it became bigger and bigger. Please tell me if you enjoyed the chapter as much as I did writing it!


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